Pentagon Chiefs Cancel “Family Friendly” Drag Show At Air Force Base After Rep. Gaetz Pressure

At a House Armed Services Committee hearing on March 29, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., pointedly demanded Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley why drag queen story hours were still taking place on US bases around the world, including in Montana, Nevada, Virginia and Germany.

“Drag queen story hours is not something that the department funds,” Austin told the committee.

Milley chimed in, asking to see the flyers for the events Gaetz was referring to:

“I’d like to take a look at those, because I don’t agree with those,” Milley said.

Gaetz Asks Austin and Milley Why Drag Queen Shows are Still Happening on Military Baseshttps://t.co/nG99e4tp3n pic.twitter.com/RYVx96DWzb

— AɯƙɯαɾԃMαɱα™® (@Aspiemama_107) May 24, 2023

And as NBC News reports, when Milley was informed about the event this week, he was visibly angry about the decision to host the event on base, a U.S. official and a defense official said.

Sure enough, just days later, the DoD canceled a planned drag show at Nellis Air Force base in Las Vegas, Nevada, according to a statement provided to the Daily Caller on Thursday.

The Nellis LGBTQ+ Pride Council was set to offer a free “family friendly” drag show Thursday, June 1, to kick off pride month

“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,” Sabrina Singh, deputy press secretary for the Department of Defense, told the Caller.

“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 not a suitable use of DOD resources. Our Service members are diverse and are allowed to have personal outlets. 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.”

Nellis AFB hosted a Pride Month drag show in June 2021, named “Drag-u-Nellis.”

A spokesperson for the base said in a statement that it was intended to promote inclusivity and diversity.

Rightly so, Rep. Matt Gaetz took a victory lap on the news…“HUGE VICTORY: The Department of Defense has CANCELED a scheduled ‘child-friendly’ drag show after I demanded answers from @SecDef Austin and General Milley!”

HUGE VICTORY: The Department of Defense has CANCELED a scheduled “child-friendly” drag show after I demanded answers from @SecDef Austin and General Milley!

Drag shows should not be taking place on military installations with taxpayer dollars PERIOD!

READ:… https://t.co/YDByQihQod pic.twitter.com/vnJiuFlh2z

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) May 31, 2023

The question is – how many of these shows are being funded by the DoD that Rep. Gaetz is not aware of (and why?).