As the U.S. Navy becomes engulfed in a drag-queen controversy, Rep. Matt Gaetz called out Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for lying about the military’s use of cross-dressing performers.
The Fort Walton Beach Republican on Friday tweeted a video of a House Armed Services Committee hearing in March, when Austin denied that “drag queen story hours” were happening on military installations.
That was not something the Pentagon “supports or funds,” Austin said at the time.
In his tweet on Friday, Gaetz noted last week’s news of Navy Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, who performs in drag as Harpy Daniels. Fox News reported that Kelley was the Navy’s “digital ambassador” for drag queens. The Navy turned to Kelley as a recruiting tactic.
Related: VIDEO: Rep. Matt Gaetz Gets Commitment From Gen. Milley To End Military Base Drag Queen Story Hour
Gaetz has for months complained about the military’s “diversity, equity, and inclusion” programs and policies as being harmful to recruiting efforts.
The revelation about the Navy using Kelley also undermined Austin’s previous comments, which Gaetz noted in his tweet.
“@SecDef Lloyd Austin told me drag shows aren’t part of the Department of Defense. I showed him proof otherwise. He smirked at me and kept lying,” Gaetz tweeted.
“Now we’re learning that he used DOD [Department of Defense] to promote digital drag performers.For what reason? Recruiting!”
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