FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: media@sikhcoalition.org
Sikh Coalition Stands in Solidarity with Soldiers Facing Discrimination From Army’s New Shaving Policy
July 10, 2025 (Washington, DC) — This week, the U.S. Army announced an updated facial hair grooming policy. The policy bars permanent shaving waivers beyond religious accommodations and requires medical personnel to craft formal treatment plans for troops that have medical accommodations; it could lead to the expulsion of soldiers who need shaving exemptions for more than 12 months over a 2-year period.
In response, the Sikh Coalition issued the following statement:
“Over the course of our more than 15 years of work to assist Sikhs with religious accommodations and fight for policy changes within all branches of the military, it has been demonstrated time and time again that maintaining a beard poses no barrier to capable and honorable military service.”
“We have seen elsewhere that policies that discriminate against those with a medical need to shave are often also used to infringe upon the rights of Sikhs who maintain their kesh (uncut hair) as an article of faith. While religious accommodations remain exempt from this new guidance for now, the Sikh Coalition stands in solidarity with soldiers who may ultimately be kicked out of the Army by this new shaving policy, which will disproportionately affect Black and South Asian men—especially those with medical conditions like pseudofolliculitis barbae.”
“We remain committed to working alongside other marginalized groups as we continue to fight for full equality of opportunity for all qualified individuals across the Department of Defense.”
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For more than 15 years, the Sikh Coalition has worked alongside partners to ensure equality of opportunity for Sikhs employed by the Department of Defense. Learn more about this campaign on our website or email media@sikhcoalition.org for more information.