The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is comprised of the three military services: the Royal Australian Navy, the Australian Army, and the Royal Australian Air Force, all of which have been subject to
increasing criticism in recent years for being dominated by straight white men. This,
it is alleged, makes them,
ipso facto, a petri dish for 'toxic masculinity
.' That allegation has been lent apparent weight by the reporting of multiple gender-related scandals including the
ADFA sex scandal,
Jedi Council, various
hazing rituals,
death symbols, and
HMAS Success, to name a few.
Some of this criticism has been so strident that past and present military leaders have had no choice but to commission reports and inquiries into standards and practices within the ADF, and to implement various culture change initiatives including
Pathway to Change, New Generation Navy, Adaptive Army, and
New Horizon. All of these initiatives place significant emphasis on greater integration of women into the respective services but offer limited reasoning other than catch-phrases like 'diversity,' 'equity,' and 'modernising.'All three services are now working toward a target of female representation by 2023. The Navy and Air Force are working toward 25 percent, and the Army is working toward 15 percent. The progress toward these targets, among other commentary on gender issues in the ADF, is detailed in the annual
"Women in the ADF" report.
Over recent years, Australian media outlets have
highlighted issues with the ADF's methods of achieving these quotas. As of this writing, the
Defence Force Recruitment website advertises female-only incentives including the choice of where to work, when to enlist, shorter initial minimum periods of service, as well as preparation courses. A reduction in the initial minimum period of service makes applicable servicewomen eligible for the Australian Defence Medal years sooner than their male counterparts, and
this has provoked resentment among veterans.
Comment: LeBron appears to have drunk the MSM koolaid and merely spouts the same identity politics lines that they do. The irony in his statements are that he's sowing division among people, precisely the thing he's accusing Trump of doing: