British Army Survey on Gender-Neutral Grooming

0:00On March 8th, the British Army is facing backlash for surveying all serving soldiers on whether men should be allowed to wear makeup and style their hair like women. The questionnaire, sent out from headquarters in Andover, asks if rules on cosmetics, hair and jewelry should become fully gender-free for men, women and non-binary personnel. It proposes letting men use subtle makeup, like natural eyelash extensions or nail polish and neutral colors, along with long hair, hair extensions, painted nails and stud earrings. Currently, makeup is banned for men, and their hair must stay short, not touching the collar or ears. The survey even floats new guidelines on facial fillers, microblading, tattoos and piercings. This comes at a tense time, with British forces and cypress requesting more protection and the destroyer HMS Dragon delayed importance until next week before heading there. Meanwhile, strikes near Tehran have heightened Middle East worries. Critics, including shadow defense figures, questioned the timing, arguing it distracts

1:03from core readiness amid global threats. The Army's last big appearance shift was in 2024, scrapping a century old no-bears policy and similar makeup ideas surfaced back in 2019, but fizzled. An Army spokesperson insists there's no plan to alter policies, calling this an informal check, not an official push as they prioritize combat.