The Air Force has warned the troops not use words like “boy” or “girl” and such phrases as “blondes have more fun” because they are offensive.
An email outlining the list of banned words was sent to airmen at Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, and was leaked to Fox News. Banned words include “boy”, “girl” and “blackmail” and phrases like “you people” has also been prohibited.
The list also contains words such as “colonial” and “blacklist” and the phrase “blondes have more fun”. While some words and phrases are indeed potentially offensive and racially charged, others have raised a few eyebrows.
The full list of banned “offensive” words:
1. Boy
2. Girl
3. You People
4. Colonial
5. Blacklist
6. Blackmail
7. Blackball
8. Sounds Greek to me
9. Blondes have more fun
10. Too many chiefs, not enough Indians
The leaked email was written by a senior Air Force leader and sent to troops at Lackland Air Force Base. The exact number of personnel who received the email remains unclear. The text of the email advised people to refrain from using the words and phrases.
“Please be cognizant that such conduct is 100 percent zero tolerance in or outside of the work climate,” the email read. “Let’s capitalize on our richly diverse climate, and help others seek assistance if they are struggling with compliance.”
The public affairs office at the base denied the existence of banned words, claiming the email just reminded “Airmen to be respectful to others.” A spokesperson said: “The Air Force has no list of prohibited terms” and “It was sent out by an individual simply reminding Airmen to be respectful to others.”
