🎭🇺🇸 “Pentagon Throws Shade at Drag Show in Nevada Air Base: Lip Sync Battle Cancelled 🚫”
TL;DR:
Pentagon bigwigs have grounded a drag show set to take flight at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, in celebration of Pride Month. The show got the green light from Air Force honchos, but higher ups said, “not so fast,” asserting it’s not within Department of Defense (DoD) policy to fund such spectacularly bedazzled events on bases.
Well, well, well, it seems the Pentagon top dogs are stepping in to cancel the drag show that was ready to werk the runway this Thursday at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada. 🛑 The sashaying event, originally in celebration of Pride Month 🏳️🌈, was given the go-ahead by Air Force leaders, only for the Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley to swing the proverbial axe.
In true RuPaul’s Drag Race spirit, they basically told the Air Force, “sashay away.” 🏁 But why, you ask? It seems according to our lovely Pentagon leaders, it’s not DoD policy to fund drag shows on bases. Makes you wonder why they didn’t think of having this conversation before the sequins started flying, huh? 🤔
Drag shows and similar events on military bases have recently turned into a hot potato, politically speaking. 🥔 The conservative side of the aisle argues that taxpayer dollars 💰 should not be spent on events that are, admittedly, a lot more entertaining than their average congressional hearings.
Representative Matt Gaetz from the Sunshine State couldn’t keep his cool during a House Armed Services Committee hearing earlier this year, letting his feathers get ruffled over “drag queen story hours” on bases worldwide, from Nevada and Virginia to far-flung Germany. 🌍
Austin responded by stating the obvious: the Department doesn’t fund these events. Yet, his words didn’t seem to placate the agitated Rep. Gaetz.
At the end of the day, the proposed drag show got a resounding “NO” from the top echelons. With officials saying, “Consistent with Secretary Austin’s congressional testimony, the Air Force will not host drag events at its installations or facilities. Commanders have been directed to either cancel or relocate these events to an off-base location.”
However, the base did host a successful Pride Month drag show back in June 2021, fondly known as “Drag-u-Nellis,” aimed at promoting inclusivity and diversity. 🏳️🌈✊
What we’re left with is a question of representation and financial priorities. Should the military promote diversity and inclusion within its ranks through events like these, even if it’s against the DoD’s official policy? Or are these events a misappropriation of resources that should be diverted to more conventional military practices? 🤷♂️💭
Now, it’s over to you, my friends: should the military host drag events on base or keep them strictly off-base? And should the funding for such events come from the military’s budget, or should they be privately sponsored? 🎤💸 Let’s hear your thoughts! 💬
Disclaimer: This article is not an endorsement or disapproval of any actions or policies. It is a presentation of events and does not offer advice on military or financial decisions.
