"Under a comprehensive update that takes effect December 15, the Coast Guard is eliminating the "hate incident" category altogether and reclassifying displays of swastikas, nooses, and symbols coopted by hate groups as "potentially divisive symbols." The updated policy explicitly states that these items should now be handled through harassment procedures when an aggrieved individual is identified, significantly weakening the automatic scrutiny of content historically treated as threatening or discriminatory."
"The shift is part of a larger ideological realignment across the federal military apparatus. The Coast Guard is under the Department of Homeland Security, run by MAGA faithful Secretary Kristi Noem. Though the Coast Guard is not part of the Defense Department, it has updated its policies to align with the Trump administration's narrowing of definitions for hazing, bullying, and harassment. In September, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a department-wide revision, calling existing military standards "overly broad" and warning they threatened combat readiness."
The Coast Guard will remove the "hate incident" category and reclassify swastikas, nooses, and symbols used by hate groups as "potentially divisive symbols," effective December 15. Those displays will be addressed through harassment procedures only when an aggrieved individual is identified, reducing automatic scrutiny of historically threatening or discriminatory content. A symbol will be deemed divisive only if it demonstrably affects good order, morale, or mission effectiveness. The change aligns Coast Guard policy with broader federal shifts narrowing definitions of hazing, bullying, and harassment and follows Pentagon guidance to accelerate dismissal of complaints lacking "credible evidence."
Read at Advocate.com
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