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The Pentagon has reportedly nixed a drag show scheduled for the beginning of Pride Month — after it had already been approved by the chain of command.
According to CNN, the performance — set for Thursday — was canceled at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and it was supposed to highlight the significance of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members of the military.
3/29/23
C-SPAN
This would have been the third drag event at Nellis, but Pentagon officials put the kibosh on it Wednesday, CNN said. It wasn’t clear if the show would be moved to another venue.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been super supportive of the LGBTQ+ community, commending them for their service and publicly supporting Pride Month in the military. But Austin has made it clear he doesn’t want drag shows on U.S. military bases because the Defense Department should not have to pay for the expense.
A Pentagon rep explained, “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.”
At a House Armed Services Committee hearing in March, Austin got into a heated back and forth with Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican, over this very issue. But, Austin held his ground, reiterating he does not support funding drag shows with Defense Department dollars.