RAF plans skirt ban ... to avoid upsetting its transgender pilots
WOMEN in the RAF will be banned from wearing skirts on parade to avoid upsetting transgender and Muslim personnel.
Diversity officials at the Ministry of Defence want to enforce a trouser-only rule for ceremonial parades to make the service more inclusive.
But there is resistance – with some calling it ‘political correctness gone mad’. Despite this, the change is set to be implemented.
Under current rules, women normally wear skirts on parade.
But under the new proposals, RAF women would have to wear trousers on military parades at barracks and during public displays and events.
They would be allowed to wear skirts on other occasions, such as official engagements when they are not marching.
The change was discussed at a summit of RAF chiefs who deal with issues such as diversity, inclusion and uniform policy.
Defence sources said they will enforce a trousers-only rule partly due to an increase in transgender personnel. There are also concerns that women with tattooed calves cannot wear skirts on parade as the designs would be visible.
The MoD has also been trying to recruit more Muslims to the mili- tary. RAF officials have raised concerns that Muslim women may not wish to wear skirts.
As everyone on parade should look the same, some officials have pointed out, that means if Muslim women choose to wear trousers, all women should wear trousers. If the RAF implements the change, the Army and Navy could follow suit, sources said.
It is understood that MoD diversity officials had pointed out that it was not inclusive to force all women to wear skirts because of the ‘ psychological effects’ on transgender staff.
Defence sources said: ‘There are concerns that by forcing RAF personnel to wear skirts it is discriminatory towards a variety of people, such as those with tattoos and transgender personnel.’
Servicewomen were said to be angry about the changes. One told the Sun: ‘We’ve been told women can no longer wear skirts on parade. Everyone’s livid. We’ve been wearing skirts since World War Two. It feels like political correctness. The world’s going mad.’
Another serviceman said: ‘Hopefully someone with their nonpolitically correct head will realise how ridiculous this is and let peo-
‘Everyone is livid, it’s ridiculous’
ple wear what they want.’ The RAF has around 32,000 personnel – of whom 14 per cent are women. It is not known how many are transgender but it is thought to be very few.
Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of UK forces, said: ‘There are obviously too many people in the RAF with too little to do if they have time to agonise over whether or not women should wear skirts in ceremonial uniform.’
The RAF said: ‘Uniform regulations, including dress for formal parades, are regularly reviewed. No decisions have been made to make any changes.’