'We Don't Want Second Class Citizens': Hegseth Reportedly Blocked Navy Promotions Over Rainbow Flags

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth faces scrutiny in Washington over reports that Navy promotions were blocked after secret screening examined officers' links to rainbow-flag events and other diversity activities. The controversy has gained urgency since the 3 November midterm elections secured Democrats control of both chambers next January.

The dispute centres on a Navy selection board's recommendation that 31 captains advance to one-star rear admiral. Hegseth intervened this year, removing nine names, including all three women and two Black men, according to the Associated Press. The Pentagon has not publicly explained the individual decisions.

Rainbow Flags and Online Vetting

MS NOW reported that Hegseth's office compiled paper-only files from internet searches. A senior official told the network that candidates could not inspect them and that screening instructions were given by telephone.

The checks reportedly covered events featuring rainbow flags, Hispanic Heritage Month appearances, an International Women's Day panel and encouragement to receive COVID-19 vaccines.

Those activities did not establish misconduct. Whether they influenced promotion decisions or whether the Pentagon relied on other undisclosed information remains unclear.

Earlier reporting by The New York Times described a broader process in which military services and Hegseth's staff searched online material about candidates. Officers who had discussed diversity or encouraged vaccinations were among those removed from promotion recommendations, officials told the newspaper.

The Navy had already reviewed the original one-star slate. Its selection board was instructed to assess competence, performance and character, and senior service leaders had endorsed the recommendations before they reached Hegseth.

Another round affected officers recommended for two-star rank. The New York Times reported in July that Hegseth had blocked seven of 22 recommended candidates, five of them women or people of colour. One was Rear Adm. Amy Bauernschmidt, the first woman to command a US nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.

What the Law Says

The dispute is not simply whether a defence secretary can scrutinise candidates. Federal law distinguishes between recommending changes, removing someone from a selection board's report and delaying a promotion after approval.

Under Section 618 of Title 10 of the US Code, removal of a recommended officer from a selection board report at these ranks is generally reserved for the president. When a removal recommendation relies on information not presented to the board, the law provides for the officer to see that information and respond.

Whether those requirements applied to the specific decisions, and were followed, has not been established publicly. The existence of additional screening does not, by itself, prove unlawful discrimination.

In a letter dated 17 July, Democratic senators Cory Booker and Brian Schatz asked the Pentagon's inspector general to investigate the removals. They questioned whether political considerations had displaced the military's merit-based process and sought records of the criteria and communications involved.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell has rejected suggestions that race or gender guides promotions. He previously said such decisions are based on merit and that the department would not use either characteristic as a factor.

Democratic victories in November have increased the prospect of congressional scrutiny once the new Congress convenes in January. Lawmakers could seek documents, question officials and examine how the promotion lists were changed.

For the officers affected, the issue is whether years of service were judged on professional qualifications or on public participation in activities the military once encouraged.