We Are Equal.

I live in a world where women are equal. I live in this world because my husband joined the United States Coast Guard. The USCG has NEVER had gender norming rules and requirements. They have the strong belief that the job is the job is the job and your faith, your sex, your gender, your race, your desire to have a family does not factor into or change the job from their standpoint.

The USCG admitted women to their Academy before any other branch was legally required to by congressional mandate. The USCG had the first female CO Afloat (Beverly Kelley, 1979) in US history. She met the same requirements as every other CO Afloat. The first woman to complete Navy Dive School was USCG BM2 Linda Moroz in 1984. The first female AST (rescue swimmer) met the exact same requirements as every other AST, only better. Kelly Mogk-Larson was the first female Coast Guardsman to graduate from the Navy Rescue Swimmer School in 1986. AST1 Karen Voorhees became the FIRST (regardless of gender) ASTC in the USCG in 2013. The first woman to hold the job of Surfman (and yes, that's Surfman, not "surfwoman") met the exact same requirements as every other Surfman (now CWO Beth Slade). A title and job held by approximately 500 members making up approximately 1% of the USCG forces, is held by few women. But those women can proudly say that they earned it just like their shipmates with the same honor. In 2013 Surfman 484 became only the 6th woman to earn the job of Surfman. In 1990 SKCM Mary Fowlkes was the first African-American woman to deploy to the middle east during Operation Desert Shield-Desert Storm. That same year Annie Visser was the first woman to promote to CWO (BOSN). In 1993 BM2 Kathy Niles became the first woman to qualify on the '47 MLB.

Because of my husband I am raising a son and a daughter in a culture that respects honor, equality, and hard work. A culture that believes the job is the job is the job, no matter what else is happening in Washington DC. The raging Pacific Ocean still requires a dedicated Surfman to keep their crew safe while running a SAR case. The needs of those missing at sea still require a dedicated and AST to get them to safety (with the help of an entire helicopter crew). I don't need someone to tell me what feminism is. I don't need someone to tell me that I don't value women's rights because of my politics, my role in my family, or my disapproval of what has become of the feminist movement. I stand proudly, on the shoulders of Lucretia Motts, E.C. Stanton, Charlotte Woodward and Eleanor C. L’Ecuyer when I proudly say that their dreams have come to life in the USCG; without presidential mandate, congressional mandate, public march, public protest, or anything beyond their own belief that the job is the job is the job.  If you're wondering who that last woman was, let me tell you about how that woman earned a law degree and became the first female attorney hired by the Coast Guard and she fought for the Coast Guard to open all roles up to women, starting in 1951. She fought for pregnancy to not be seen as a disability (which is won in the CG, but not yet in the civilian world), she fought for dual service marriages to be allowed to co-locate. She retired in 1971 as a Captain, and was the longest serving SPAR. The women of the United States Coast Guard fought from the inside, and by the rules, to make sure that women were afforded equality in every way within the CG.

In the United States Coast Guard women are equal to men. If you want to live in this world, if you want to be a part of the greatest force for women's rights, then join the Coast Guard. Otherwise, shut up and sit down because you aren't willing to sacrifice your life for your cause. Meanwhile the brave women, men, and animals of the USCG put theirs on the line every single day to provide national security, safe waterways, to educate, and in the words of my son "protect the sea unicorns". And these kick ass women if the USCG didn't earn their accolades because they were crusading for equal rights. They earned them doing the job, that they wanted. Because the job is the job is the job. In the Coast Guard, it's a calling.

So women and men marching on Washington today: in the eyes of God and the United States Coast Guard we are equal.