Retired Navy SEAL and Texas Rep. Dan Crenshaw criticized the U.S. Navy’s new training video on gender pronouns, “inclusive language” and creating a “safe space.”
“No. No, no, no, no, no. Ok, here’s a better idea. We fire everybody who has pronouns in their signature block and then we refocus the Navy on actually being prepared to fight wars. I think that’s a better idea,” Crenshaw said in a video posted on Facebook and Instagram on Tuesday. “And look, side note: we already have inclusive language in the military. It’s called ranks. You can just call somebody a chief, or a petty officer or a captain or a lieutenant. Boom. Inclusive. Problem solved.”
The official instructional video, filmed in June 2021 and quietly posted online last month to the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service (DVIDS), opens with Naval Undersea Warfare Center engineer Jony Rozon introducing himself and notifying the viewer that he uses “he/him” pronouns. His fellow host, engineer Conchy Vasquez, then says she uses “she/her” pronouns.
The training video goes on to promote the use of “inclusive language” and being “allies,” as well as instruction on what to do if someone is “misgendered.”
In a separate post, Crenshaw also called on the Navy to “stop this stupidity.”
“Here’s an idea, fire everyone in the Navy who puts pronouns in their email signature and focus on how to be better at war,” he tweeted. “For God’s sake, stop this stupidity.”
Crenshaw wasn’t the only Navy SEAL to speak out against the training video. Rob O’Neill, the SEAL who killed Osama Bin Laden, called the guidance “ridiculously useless.”
“Let me make it simple for the entire @USNavy: Your pronouns are shipmate/shipmates. There. I just saved the taxpayers millions by avoiding ridiculously useless training. Anchors aweigh,” he tweeted.
Army combat veteran and Florida Rep. Brian Mast slammed Commander-in-chief Joe Biden over the video, highlighting that it was produced while Americans remain stranded in Afghanistan.
“Americans are still stranded in Afghanistan, but the Navy had time to produce this instructional video on creating a ‘safe space’ by using ‘proper’ gender pronouns,” Mast tweeted. “Joe Biden doesn’t deserve the words Commander or Chief anywhere near his title.”
Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn tweeted that America’s “adversaries are laughing” at the Biden administration’s priorities.
“Our adversaries are laughing. Meanwhile, the Democrats just blocked my amendments that would ensure our military is focused on combat readiness. @Kredo0,” Blackburn wrote.
Texas Rep. Brian Babin echoed Blackburn’s comments, arguing that the “woke” video is an “embarrassment.”
“Only in #BidensAmerica is the U.S. Navy more focused on woke, made-up pronouns than ensuring our forces are equipped and ready to defend America,” he tweeted. “This is an embarrassment – our enemies are laughing.”
