Don’t Take Away Our Lipstick, Female Marines Protest

Marine Corps Times ^ | September 10, 2001 | Gordon Lubold

[g'nad]

Marine Corps Times
September 10, 2001
Pg. 10

Don’t Take Away Our Lipstick, Female Marines Protest

Uniform board heeds concerns, reverses its policy

By Gordon Lubold, Times Staff Writer

It smacked of sexism, female Marines said, and the Corps’ new lipstick policy had them seeing red.

But now female Marines again can apply lipstick while wearing the utility uniform, a victory owed to a massive e-mail thread that crisscrossed the Corps.

In the wake of the electronic outcry, the Marine Corps Uniform Board reversed a policy change that went into effect earlier this year.

The board published a clarification to the the loathed lipstick policy Aug. 29, saying it never meant to prohibit the wear of lipstick while in cammies. But little about the original message was unclear.

An April 27 Corpswide message, MarAdmin 199/01, detailed a number of uniform changes, including the statement, "If worn, nail polish and non-eccentric lipstick ... may be worn with the service, blue dress, blue-white dress and evening dress uniforms."

The message went on to state that "colored nail polish will not be worn with the utility uniform." Many women took that to mean they couldn’t wear lipstick while in cammies, either.

Slowly, women began to take notice of the policy change and launched an e-mail campaign denouncing it as sexist and demeaning.

If the Corps was willing to do away with nail polish and lipstick, many worried, what would be next?

The e-mail reportedly started with a female master sergeant in Washington, D.C., and made its way around the Corps, picking up steam along the way.

"It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen in the Marine Corps," said Capt. Daniel Dukes, secretary-recorder for the uniform board.

Female Marines "signed" the e-mail, which detailed the reasons for the women’s displeasure, and then forwarded it on to fellow Marines.

Uniform board officials agreed with their outcry and released a message reversing the policy.

Dukes said the board takes responsibility for the mix-up and hopes the fix puts the concerns to rest.

"We have to claim responsibility for that," he said.

Not all female Marines were angered by the policy change, however.

Cammies are for combat, not cosmetics, said Master Sgt. Rosemarie Weber, assistant executive officer for the Defense Department’s Military Personnel Policy section.

"If you don’t like that you can’t wear your lipstick in your cammies, then wear charlies," she said.

"I know that when a directive comes out, you don’t necessarily have to like it, but you do it," she said.

[g'nad]

"I know that when a directive comes out, you don’t necessarily have to like it, but you do it," she said.

OOO-RAH Master Sergeant! Since when is the Corps a friggin' democracy?! Women Marines (not all) already push the envelope with hair styles, make up, and hair. Quit yer bitchin' and follow orders...

0850 and I already need a beer fer cryin' out loud...

[Scuttlebutt]

If the Corps was willing to do away with nail polish and lipstick, many worried, what would be next?

Bumping this thread for your viewing pleasure. The BAMs are at it again. :^)

Please note that the Corps has already done away with shoe polish and gun oil.

[Prodigal Son]

If the Corps was willing to do away with nail polish and lipstick, many worried, what would be next?

Reword that to: "If the Corps wasn't willing to do away with nail polish and lipstick, many worried, what would be next?

[Lanman]

We had a name for female Marines when I was in the Corps, but I don't think I will post it.

[harpu]

BAM's, is what they used to be referred to...

[riley1992]

God, this stuff is sickening. The men then should be allowed to have a pierced ear or the like, right?

Who is running the military nowadays? Mary Kay?

[Movemout]

BAMs should know better.

[MudPuppy]

Last week I saw the message that they had reconvened the Board and said they were sorry about the inadvertant omission of lipstick in cammies. You know they were hating life having to reconvene over something so trivial. What is the Corps turning into these days?
Bunch of whiners!

I've seen few WM's wearing any make-up in cammies anyway.

[Diva Betsy Ross]

Just another fine day for the feminists in uniform. Just another day that I am sad for womanhood. So much wasted energy on makeup...Are they there to serve their country or to find a man? Goes to show that these women should not be in charge of our country's security. They would run crying if caught with out their made up faces. What a disgrace they are.

I can see it now.. cries from the women in uniform" Wait .. don't fire yet, I haven't put on my face.. just give me a few more moments...."

[packrat01]

What's a BAM?

I was in 'a different branch' of the the Armed Services...

[riley1992]

They should in theory but no one seems to be making it stick anymore. If an e-mail campaign will send superiors scurrying to change policy, what are the chances that the women up and coming in the Corps are going to take it seriously?

[cynicom]

What do they wear when in their jammies??? Marines, trained killers, HA.

[Movemout]

Big Assed Marine.

[jonascord]

Broad @ssed Marine.

At Paris Island Recruit Depot, the statue of Iron Mike, the machine gunner with a .30 Browning over one shoulder and his Model 1911 pistol raised over his head, used to stand outside the WM recruit barracks. It is said that if a virgin ever walked by, he would fire his pistol...

[NOLA_homebrewer]

Something else I find peculiar is the black handbag being used with cammies, aren't there enough pockets on the BDUs, whats with the purse?

[Stavka2]

Sexism by making the genders equal? Will one physical standard for combat troops be viewed as sexism too? Only in the West.

[jonascord]

I don't know if it is still policy, but in the Old Corps, you did not actually put anything in your pockets, 'cause it would break the starch. Cigarettes, lighter, billfold went into a sock. You could comb your hair with a washcloth. That's how you can tell a Marine. He still stashes his butts in his sock to save the line of his clothes. Hius shirt is bloused, and check to see whether his "Military alignment" is squared away. The edge of his shirt, the edge of his belt buckle, and the edge of his trouser fly are in a straight line.

[Typhoon]

I dont feel one bit sorry for these stupid ho's! if they wanted to wear make up and run a fashion show then they shouldnt have joined the corps.

[NOLA_homebrewer]

Yeah, I think technically that's still the case, but the only place where its probably enforced is boot camp or officer commisioning programs. I know I have a habit of putting pens, yellow stickies (can't be an effective leader without yellow stickies...) sunglasses etc in my shirt pockets and it definitely doesn't look as good as it could. The Marines have always been more professional and disciplined (I get treated with more respect and professionalism in PT gear at the marine's gym than I do throughout the rest of the day) so maybe that's still the norm for all units.

[Scuttlebutt]

" It is said that if a virgin ever walked by, he would fire his pistol..."

The shot that was never heard around the world.

Regards,
From an old sailor…Semper Gumby.