U.S. Navy Ends Ban on Dreadlocks for Women
The U.S. Navy is joining other branches of the armed forces, including the Marines, the Army and the Air Force, and putting an end to its ban on dreadlocks for the women who serve our country.
The Huffington Post reports that the Navy announced the lift on its ban during a live broadcast on its Facebook page on Tuesday.
Many other styles, including ponytails and buns, will also be allowed under the new relaxed rules if they do not interfere with the female sailor’s operational or safety needs. Male sailors will still be required to keep their hair short, however.
As HuffPo notes, Petty Officer 1st Class Jacqualynn Leak, who has worn her hair in dreadlocks since 2014, has been pushing to get the ban lifted, pouring over research on the cultural and health aspects of locs, as well as surveying several female sailors who have been impacted by the ban.
“I wanted to make an argument so compelling that every reason my chain of command could give me for why dreadlocks were banned could easily be rebutted with facts,” she said, according to the news site.
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