There may be a reason that commercials for militaries around the world only seem to air commercials with traditional masculine soldiers on the heels of war. Progressive policy making bringing DEI to the military has been chastised for much more than just political posturing, it’s been highlighted as an imminent national security risk. Proponents of defense policy making that focuses on inclusivity rather than meritocracy were confronted with the validity of the argument against them following the sinking of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s HMNZS Manawanui.

The vessel became the first ship in New Zealand’s fleet to sink since World War II after it caught fire and capsized just one nautical mile from the Samoan island of Upolu in the early hours of Sunday morning. The ship is also the first to be lost during peacetime in the history of New Zealand. Before meeting that ignominious fate, the ship had already made made history when it became captained by Yvonne Gray, the first lesbian captain to named by the Royal New Zealand Navy. In the wake of the sinking, criticism about the merit of her appointment has become amplified.

Captain Yvonne Gray

There once was a sailor named Gray,
whom the fates made decidedly gay.
Unduly promoted,
a ship that once floated,
now doesn’t, to the navy’s dismay!