Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz Declares ‘Huge Victory’ as Pentagon Cancels ‘Child-Friendly’ Drag Show at Nevada Air Base

Susan Berry, PhD

The Department of Defense has put a stop to a “child-friendly” drag show event slated for Thursday at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) declared the decision to cancel the drag show a “huge victory” in the wake of his demands for answers on why such shows on military installations are continuing despite statements to Gaetz during a House Armed Services Committee hearing by Biden Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley that they were not aware such events were occurring and that they agree they should not be held.

“Drag shows should not be taking place on military installations with taxpayer dollars PERIOD, especially when they’re openly targeting children to attend,” Gaetz posted to Twitter on May 23, when he issued a press release regarding his letter to Austin and Milley regarding the Department of Defense’s (DoD) “pervasive and persistent use of taxpayer dollars for drag events.”

In his letter, Gaetz demanded answers to all of his questions as well as “clarification on whether any punitive action has or will be taken against individuals who facilitated drag events with taxpayer dollars by June 12th, 2023.”

Addressing Austin and Milley, Gaetz referred to the hearing on March 29, during which the two officials, “shockingly,” as the Florida congressman described, indicated they were “unaware that such events are taking place.”

“However, I am pleased to know you do not support these drag events and agree with me that they should not be happening,” Gaetz stated in the letter and proceeded to list past drag shows on military bases as well as the one scheduled for Thursday at Nellis Air Force Base.

NBC News reported Wednesday that, while Air Force officials approved the event, Austin and Milley informed the Air Force the Pentagon does not fund drag shows on military bases.

“Drag queen story hours is not something that the department funds,” NBC News noted Austin told Gaetz in March.

Milley also asked to see the flyers for the events Gaetz had referred to and responded he was not aware of such events occurring and does not support such events on military bases.

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

“Consistent with Secretary Austin’s congressional testimony, the Air Force will not host drag events at its installations or facilities,” an Air Force official reportedly said when asked about the Nellis event. “Commanders have been directed to either cancel or relocate these events to an off-base location.”

DoD Deputy Press Secretary Sabrina Singh said in a statement:

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 not a suitable use of DoD resources.

Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) linked to CNN’s story about the cancellation of the drag show event at Nellis, stating, “Exposing the wokeness in our military is the best way to stop it. We’re just getting started.”

Leftwing media Rolling Stone headlined the decision by the Pentagon to terminate the drag show at Ellis Air Force Base as “Pentagon Kicks Off Pride Month by Caving to Matt Gaetz, Canceling Drag Show.’

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Susan Berry, PhD is national education editor at The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Rep Matt Gaetz” by Rep. Matt Gaetz and “Drag Queens Celebrate Pride” by Rawpixel.

 

 

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