But instead of reversing course, the politically correct brass in place at the Pentagon appear to be doubling down.
“Struggling to meet their recruiting goals for fiscal year 2023, U.S. Naval leadership has found whom they believe to be the perfect person to increase the branch’s ranks: Drag Queen Harpy Daniels,” The Federalist noted this week in a head-shaking report.
The Daily Caller added that the Navy hired Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, an active-duty drag queen who identifies as non-binary and performs under the stage name Harpy Daniels, to be a “Navy Digital Ambassador” to increase recruitment for the branch. The Digital Ambassador program was launched to reach a wider range of potential candidates for military recruitment through digital platforms, as per a Navy spokesperson. The program reportedly ran from October 2022 to March 2023.
Kelley had announced on Instagram in November that the Navy had invited him to be their first “Digital Ambassador,” and highlighted his experience performing in drag for the Navy since 2018, while also presenting himself as an “advocate” and “leader” for individuals who were allegedly “oppressed for years in the service.”
“From joining to 2016 and being able to share my drag experience on my off time with my fellow sailors has been a blessing,” Kelley wrote. “This experience has brought me so much strength, courage and ambition to continue being an advocate and representation of queer sailors!”
Needless to say, the move has been blasted by current and former U.S. military members, as well as GOP members of Congress.
“These days, the American people see this and think this has become our military," said Matthew Lohmeier, who previously served as commander of the 11th Space Warning Squadron in Colorado before making remarks on a podcast expressing criticism of Marxism, adding that it is disheartening that the U.S. military only seems to make headlines for items such as drag-themed recruitment videos.
"And so first and foremost, I think it’s important that I should say, and I fail to do this often enough – thank you to the good men and women who nobly serve our country in uniform every day of their lives – because they show up believing in the greatness of the American ideal and because they’re willing to lay their life on the line in defense of this country,” he continued in an interview with Fox News.
“And so I have to wonder who it is that our senior military leaders, in fact, think they’re appealing to in the recruiting process by hiring a drag queen as their digital ambassador.”
Lohmeier said these incidents are not inspiring members of the military to continue their service, as many of them “believe in the Western nuclear family.” He added that they do not want their children to be exposed to such content.
“We’ve known for the past couple of years during the Biden administration, this has been taking place more and more. What’s surprising is that senior military leaders continue to push an agenda like this despite the fact that it’s hurting our recruiting efforts and it’s hurting our retention,” Lohmeier noted.
WATCH:
Other former military members were far more animated.
Robert J. O'Neill, a former Navy SEAL who is credited with killing Osama bin Laden, tweeted: “Alright. The U.S. Navy is now using an enlisted sailor Drag Queen as a recruiter. I’m done. China is going to destroy us. YOU GOT THIS NAVY. I can’t believe I fought for this bulls***.”
Alright. The U.S. Navy is now using an enlisted sailor Drag Queen as a recruiter. I’m done. China is going to destroy us. YOU GOT THIS NAVY. I can’t believe I fought for this bullshit.
— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) May 3, 2023
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