Matt Bush, FISM News
In an effort to attract recruits during a “recruiting crisis” for the U.S. military, the Navy has turned to an active-duty drag queen to be the face of its digital recruiting drive.
According to Fox News, Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, who goes by the stage name “Harpy Daniels” and identifies as non-binary, was the first of five “digital ambassadors” brought on to attract recruits.
The digital ambassador initiative ran from October 2022 to March 2023 and officials are now studying the effectiveness of the program.
The problem is clear. The American military is struggling to hit recruitment goals across the board, and to make matters worse, a new study found that “only 13% of young Americans are ‘highly willing’ to serve in the nation’s armed forces.”
The Navy alone, according to The Daily Mail, is expected to fall 8,000 short of its annual recruiting goals.
While the problem is clear, the Navy’s “solution” of hiring a “drag queen influencer” to be the face of its recruitment campaign has been met with criticism. There were many Reactions from lawmakers and former military members slamming the efforts as both counterintuitive and destructive.
Former Seal Team Six member who was part of the mission responsible for killing Osama bin Laden, Robert J. O’Neil, tweeted “Alright. The U.S. Navy is now using an enlisted sailor Drag Queen as a recruiter. I’m done.”
Alright. The U.S. Navy is now using an enlisted sailor Drag Queen as a recruiter. I’m done. China is going to destroy us. YOU GOT THIS NAVY. I can’t believe I fought for this bullshit.
— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) May 3, 2023
Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas) compared the Navy’s partnership with a drag queen to the Dylan Mulaney debacle that Bud Light landed themselves in.
Maybe the Navy should talk to Bud Light marketing and exchange notes about what NOT to do. https://t.co/Gk1xwLITjG
— Dan Crenshaw (@DanCrenshawTX) May 3, 2023
“Woke, partisan officials are projecting weakness abroad and divisiveness at home. The recruitment shortage is a serious crisis that we must address with serious solutions. TikTok videos of drag queens are just making a bad problem worse,” said Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), chair of the House Military Personnel Subcommittee.
On April 3, the Navy updated its Diversity, Equity & Inclusion policy and its 2024 budget proposal states that “To attract the most talented and diverse workforce, the Navy continues to evaluate its compensation package and admission requirements, and how it reaches potential recruits through advertising and career events.”
At least for now, part of how the Navy “reaches potential recruits through advertising,” includes hiring a drag queen influencer.
When asked about his plans, Kelly replied, “My goals as a sailor are to continue working hard, make first (class), and become the first officer in my family. As for drag, I hope to continue performing, building safe spaces for queer individuals, and one day make it on RuPaul’s Drag Race as one of the first active service members.”
While many lawmakers disagree on the strategy, Sen. Marco Rubio (R.-Fla.) made a statement to Fox News that sums up many conservative’s sentiments:
Biden has turned our military into a woke social experiment. It is a stupid way to go about protecting our nation. We need to spend more time thinking about how to counter threats like China, Russia, and North Korea and less time thinking about pronouns.