RAF women banned from wearing skirts on parade

Women serving in the Royal Air Force will no longer be able to wear skirts on parade, in case it offends people who identify as 'transgender'.

The new uniform policy, which has yet to be enforced, is part of a bid to reflect the RAF as a "modern and inclusive employer".
 

Avoiding offending 'transgender' personnel

Under the plans, women will have to wear trousers on parades, on barracks and during public events.

An RAF source told the Sun: "We have men who want to live as women, women who want to live as men and personnel who do not identify with any gender.

"The view was we need a uniform policy to cut through all of that and say there is one uniform for everyone and that’s that."
 

Political correctness

Women make up 14% of the RAF. They can serve in all roles across the RAF, other than as Regiment Officers or Regiment Gunners.

An RAF servicewoman commented: "Everyone's livid. We've been wearing skirts since World War II. It feels like political correctness. The world's going mad."

Colonel Richard Kemp, former commander of British forces in Afghanistan, 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."

Related Links: 
Women in the RAF no longer allowed to wear skirts on parade (Telegraph)
RAF to ban women from wearing skirts on parade so transgender personnel don't feel excluded (Mail)
Leading girls' school lets pupils identify as boys