The U.S. Navy’s decision to use a drag queen as a digital ambassador to help with recruiting has sparked an online backlash.
The controversial move came after all U.S. military branches fell short of their recruiting goals.
Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley is an active-duty sailor who identifies as non-binary. He uses the stage name “Harpy Daniels.”
The sailor has shared videos of his drag performances while on board ship on social media.
“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 on Instagram in November.
The Daily Caller reports that Kelley had announced in November that the Navy invited him to become the first Navy Digital Ambassador. The program ran from October through the end of April.
The Navy told The Caller that the idea was to “reach a wide range of potential candidates” through the ambassador program. It’s part of the Navy’s plan to attract more young recruits.
Kelley and four others who took part in the program weren’t paid for it.
The publicity effort was blasted online by some lawmakers and former members of the military.
One of those lawmakers who questioned the Navy’s marketing plan was U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas, 39, who’s currently serving his third term in Congress. He’s a retired Navy lieutenant commander and a former Navy SEAL.
In an Instagram post, Crenshaw shared a story from “The New York Post” showing photos of Kelley in his naval uniform and in drag, writing: “Did we learn nothing from Bud Light? Obviously the Navy didn’t.”
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