Hegseth Walks Back Comments on Women and Gays in the Military
Pete Hegseth, the President of the conservative advocacy group Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), has backtracked on his previous comments regarding the inclusion of women and openly gay individuals in the US military.
Hegseth had made headlines in recent weeks by stating that he believed that women should not be serving in combat roles, and that allowing openly gay individuals to serve would undermine military morale and cohesion. He also claimed that the introduction of women and openly gay individuals to the military was a result of ” political correctness” and a desire to be “politically correct” rather than making decisions based on military strategy and necessity.
However, in a recent interview with Fox News, Hegseth clarified his previous comments, stating that he is “proud” to serve with women and openly gay individuals in the military. He also acknowledged that the decision to allow women to serve in combat roles was made by the US military leadership, and that it is now a part of military policy.
“I think we should be proud to serve with women, I think we should be proud to serve with LGBTQ individuals,” Hegseth said. “I think we should be proud of the fact that we have a military that is representative of our society, that is inclusive, and that is based on meritocracy.”
Hegseth’s previous comments had drawn widespread criticism from many in the LGBTQ community and those who support gender equality in the military. His backtrack suggests that he may have recognized the harm caused by his previous words and is now attempting to repair the damage.