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DoD cancels drag show at Air Force base after backlash; General Milley ‘visibly angry’ when told about event

June 2, 2023 | | Print Article

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) succeeded in getting a “child-friendly” drag show hosted at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada that was intended to kick off Pride Month canceled by Pentagon leaders.

Gaetz sent a letter concerning military base drag shows to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley on May 23, pointing out six other drag events on bases that were approved.

He questioned the Pentagon leaders and demanded to know whether any punitive action has or will be taken against anyone who used taxpayer money on them. Gaetz went after both Austin and Milley on whether the DOD was funding, or in any way supporting, drag queen experiences for children. Austin repeatedly claimed that the DOD was not funding drag-related events for kids. Gaetz provided him evidence of drag shows hosted on military bases.

Gaetz later tweeted, “General Mark Milley commits to ENDING drag queen story hour events on military bases after I presented evidence to him during today’s House Armed Service Committee hearing. Austin however denied that they were happening at all…”

NBC claims sources said that Milley was “visibly angry” when he found out the show was set to be held at Nellis on June 1. Both Austin and Milley seem to have changed their tunes on transgenders in a sort of debauchery for thee but not for me turnaround and now assert that such events are “not a suitable use of federal funds and resources.” The military leaders made the claim about Pentagon funds during a House Armed Services hearing in March.

There was no minimum age requirement for the event and friends and neighbors were urged via a flyer to attend. The show was allegedly approved by Air Force officials before getting axed by the nation’s top brass.

The holders of the event were ostensibly given two options by the Department of Defense. Either they could cancel the drag performance or move it off base.

“Consistent with Secretary Austin’s congressional testimony, drag events will not be hosted on military installations or facilities,” a US Department of Defense official asserted, according to the Daily Mail.

The media outlet was provided a statement by Department of Defense Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh, stating, “Per DoD Joint Ethics Regulation (JER), certain criteria must be met for persons or organizations acting in non-Federal capacity to use DoD facilities and equipment.”

“As Secretary Austin has said, the DOD will not host drag events at U.S. military installations or facilities. Hosting these types of events in federally funded facilities is inconsistent with regulations regarding the use of DoD resources,” the statement added. “We are proud to serve alongside any and every young American who takes the oath that puts their life on the line in defense of our country. Service members and their families are often involved in a host of special interest activities related to their personal hobbies, beliefs, and backgrounds.”

The drag show advertised drag performers Lawanda Jackson, Coco Montrese, and Carnie Asada. Montrese, who was a star on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” Montrese claimed the show was privately paid for and did not use taxpayers’ money.

Montrese told 8 News Now, “Shocked and disappointed by this announcement, I performed in the very first drag show on the Nellis Air Force base a few years ago, but recently the attacks on the LGBTQ+ community are getting louder and louder.”

“Fear is a very big business for politicians who use it to control the masses. Creating a narrative by certain actions is careless because actions do speak louder than words. This action, 24 hours before the event would take place, is a clear message. I think we all know what that message is,” the drag queen asserted.

Drag shows are big in Las Vegas and have been forever it seems but they have always been adult-oriented. Ones held at Nellis Air Force Base, however, are a recent development. The base hosted a Pride Month drag show in June 2021, called “Drag-u-Nellis” to promote inclusivity and diversity, a spokesperson told NBC.

Gaetz was not alone in calling on Pentagon leaders for answers regarding drag shows on military bases.

Representative Chip Roy of Texas called on Austin Thursday to provide a full accounting of department resources that will be used to impose woke gender ideology in the military during Pride Month.

“It has come to our attention that the Department of Defense (DoD) will once again divert American families’ tax dollars away from advancing its mission to ‘deter war and ensure our nation’s security’ to the promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) events during the month of June 2023,” Roy wrote in a letter.

“As our nation faces threats around the globe, the DoD should be solely focused on mission-critical activities that advance military readiness and lethality to deter and, if necessary, to defeat our adversaries,” the letter added. “Expending vital resources on this type of political maneuvering, 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 recruitment numbers and pushback from Congress, DoD appears adamant about spending taxpayer dollars to impose this blatantly political agenda on our men and women in uniform,” Roy continued. “We believe the American people deserve a full accounting of the resources that DoD expends on these contentious initiatives during the month of June.”

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