Pentagon leaders have rejected plans for a ‘family’ drag show to kick off Pride Month at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, slated for today.
The broadcast was interrupted by Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, who claimed such events “did not constitute an appropriate use of funds and resources. federal”.
The event – which encouraged friends and neighbors to attend, with no minimum age requirement – was first approved by Air Force officials before being shot down by the nation’s top brass.
Milley was ‘visibly angry’ when told of the event, sources said NBC.
The DOD gave two options: cancel the drag performance or move it off military land. It’s unclear if the event will be moved or if the Pentagon is planning a different event in its place.
The Pentagon has canceled a drag show that was scheduled for Thursday at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada to kick off Pride Month
The event – which was advertised as “family friendly” and encouraged friends and neighbors to attend, with no minimum age requirement – was initially approved by Air Force officials.
However, top Army brass Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley cut the show off at Nellis Air Force Base.
The move comes after Austin said drag shows were not funded by the Pentagon during a House Armed Services hearing in March.
“Consistent with Secretary Austin’s testimony to Congress, drag events will not be held on military facilities or installations,” a US Department of Defense official said.
Sabrina Singh, Deputy Press Secretary for the Department of Defense, provided a statement to Dailymail.com which read: ‘According to the Joint DoD Ethics Regulations (JER), certain criteria must be met for individuals or organizations acting in a non-Federal capacity may use DoD facilities and equipment.’
“As Secretary Austin said, the DOD will not be holding drag events at U.S. military facilities or installations. Hosting these types of events in federally funded facilities is inconsistent with regulations regarding the use of DoD resources.
“We are proud to serve alongside all young Americans who take the oath that puts their lives on the line in defense of our country,” she added. “Service members and their families are often involved in a host of special interest activities related to their personal hobbies, beliefs and backgrounds.”
Milley was ‘visibly angry’ when told about the event, sources tell NBC
Austin said drag shows aren’t something the Pentagon funds during a House Armed Services hearing in March
The drag show planned to feature Lawanda Jackson, Coco Montrese and Carnie Asada.
Montrese, who was a star of RuPaul’s Drag Race, claimed the show was privately funded and did not use taxpayer dollars.
In a statement to 8 news now, Montrese said: “Shocked and disappointed by this announcement, I performed in the very first drag show on Nellis Air Force Base a few years ago, but recently the attacks on the LGBTQ+ community have become increasingly stronger.”
“Fear is very big business for politicians who use it to control the masses. Creating a narrative by certain actions is unwise because actions speak louder than words. This action, 24 hours before the event takes place, is a clear message. I think we all know what that message is,” continued Montrese.
Nellis Air Force Base hosted a Pride Month Drag Show in June 2021, named “Drag-u-Nellis.” to promote inclusivity and diversity, a spokesperson told NBC.
Montrese, who was a star of RuPaul’s Drag Race, claimed the show was privately funded and did not use taxpayer dollars.
Carnie Asada, a San Francisco-based drag queen and self-proclaimed ‘mother of meat’ was one of the performers featured in the planned military drag event
Carnie Asada was the third drag performer scheduled to appear at the event at the base in Nevada.
Drag shows at military bases and schools have been a controversial topic in recent months, with conservatives saying it’s an inappropriate place to host such performances and taxpayer dollars shouldn’t be used to fund them .
Representative Chip Roy of Texas on Thursday called on Secretary of Defense Austin to provide a full account of the department’s resources that will be used to impose gender-woke ideology in the military during the month of June.
Rep. Roy’s request follows the Department of the Air Force’s memo “to plan and conduct appropriate activities in honor of Pride Month.”
“It has come to our attention that the Department of Defense (DoD) will once again divert US taxpayer dollars from advancing its mission to ‘deter war and keep our nation safe’ towards promoting Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) events during the month of June 2023,’ Rep Roy wrote in the statement.
“As our nation faces threats around the world, the DoD should focus only on mission-critical activities that advance military readiness and lethality to deter and, if necessary, defeat our adversaries,” continues the letter.
“Spending vital resources on these kinds of political maneuvers, most apparent during the month of June, is inconsistent with the national security interests of the United States and is an inexcusable use of taxpayer dollars.”
“Despite plummeting recruiting numbers and Congressional denial, the DoD seems adamant about spending taxpayer dollars to force this blatant political agenda on our men and women in uniform,” Rep. Roy concludes.
“We believe the American people deserve a full account of the resources the DoD is devoting to these controversial initiatives during the month of June.”
Republicans demanded responses from the Navy this month over a TikTok video showing a drag queen hired for recruiting.
A group of 14 Republican senators wrote a letter to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. They wanted to know why the Navy had enlisted a “TikTok drag queen” to boost the number of recruits.
Joshua Kelley has been named a “Digital Ambassador” for the Navy under a pilot program that began in November and ran through March.
Kelley goes by the stage name “Harpy Daniels” and has a huge following on social media, including TikTok, with 60,800 followers and 1.3 million likes.
In the videos, Kelley starts out in uniform, then reappears as Harpy Daniels. The non-binary drag queen dances and often shares an inspirational message about being an LGBTQ+ sailor.
The very first drag show held on a US military base was staged in 2014 and was hailed as a resounding success by some while others were horrified.
Representative Matt Gaetz of Florida sent a letter on the issue of drag shows on military bases to Austin and Milley on May 23, highlighting six other cases of drag events on bases or approved by the U.S. military.
Gaetz questioned Pentagon leaders, demanding answers about whether punitive action has been or will be taken against anyone who has used taxpayer money for them.
At the March hearing, Gaetz pressed Austin and Milley to find out if the DOD was funding or supporting these drag queen experiments for kids in any way.
Secretary Austin has repeatedly insisted that the DOD does not fund cruising-related events for children.
Gaetz then provided evidence of drag shows hosted on military bases, listing each invidient one by one.
After the hearing, he posted links to the drag shows he was referring to and tweeted:
“General Mark Milley pledges to END drag queen storytime events on military bases after I presented evidence to him at today’s House Armed Service Committee hearing . Austin, however, denied that they were performing at all…’
