A video from the U.S. Navy that teaches sailors to cultivate a “safe space for everybody” by using pronouns that reflect one’s preferred gender identity has gone viral on social media, prompting many to question whether it has anything to do with protecting the country and winning wars.
The instructional video, which appears to take the format of a children’s show, features Jony Rozon and Conchy Vasquez, both engineers at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Rhode Island. It begins with the co-hosts introducing themselves by using their preferred pronouns.
“Using the right pronouns is a simple way to affirm someone’s identity,” Rozon says in the video. “It is a signal of acceptance and respect.”
The two move on to discuss the importance of using “inclusive language” to make the Navy a “safe space for everybody.” For example, “Hey everyone,” or “Hey team,” is a more inclusive alternative to “Hey guys,” according to Rozon.
“Another way that we could show that we’re allies and that we accept everybody is to maybe include our pronouns in our emails or, like we just did, introduce ourselves using our pronouns,” Vasquez says. She adds that one should never pressure others for their pronouns.
They also teach viewers how to respond when someone is “misgendered.”
“I think the first thing to recognize is that it’s not the end of the world. You correct yourself and move on, or you accept the correction and move on,” says Vasquez. “The most important thing I can tell you is do not put the burden of making you feel good about your mistake on the person that you just misgendered.”
The nearly 4-minute long video was taken a year ago, but only released this May. It is listed as an “Official U.S. Navy Video” by the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service within the Defense Media Activity, a Pentagon agency that produces and distributes news, entertainment, and educational content to U.S. forces around the world.
By Bill Pan
