The U.S. Coast Guard is adjusting its stance on symbols like swastikas, nooses, and Confederate flags, shifting away from labeling them explicitly as hate symbols. According to the Washington Post, new guidelines set to take effect next month will categorize these symbols as “potentially divisive” rather than hateful.
Historically, the swastika was worn by German soldiers during World War II, who opposed the U.S. and its allies, and was associated with the Nazi regime responsible for the genocide of millions, including Jews and other minorities.
A Coast Guard official who disagrees with the revised stance expressed concerns to the Post, stating, “We don’t deserve the trust of the nation if we’re unclear about the divisiveness of swastikas.”
Despite the changes, displaying the Confederate flag within the Coast Guard remains largely prohibited. However, starting December 15, the approach to the Confederate flag and nooses, symbols historically tied to slavery and racial violence, will be somewhat relaxed.
While the Coast Guard operates independently of the Department of Defense, this policy shift aligns with the vision of Secretary of War and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, who has advocated for a more conservative direction in the nation’s military policies.
The Coast Guard doesn’t fall under the auspices of the Department of Defense, but it’s hard-right policy turn reflects the vision that Secretary of War and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth has proposed for the nation’s armed services.
The Coast Guard is currently led by Acting Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday. Former Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan, the first woman to lead a U.S. military branch, was relieved of duty when President Trump took office in January. Fagan was criticized for an “excessive focus on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies including at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy,” according to CBS News.
The Pentagon has made rooting out D.E.I. in the military a priority since Trump appointed Hegseth to run the Department of Defense.
“For too long, we’ve promoted too many uniformed leaders for the wrong reasons, based on their race, based on gender quotas, based on historic so-called firsts,” Hegseth said in a September gathering of military brass in Virginia.
Coast Guard officials didn’t comment on the Post’s report.
