The Department of Defense announced it would not permit drag performances at U.S. military facilities and installations.
“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,” deputy Pentagon press secretary Sabrina Singh said in an emailed statement. “As [Defense Secretary Lloyd 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 inconsistent with regulations regarding the use of DOD resources.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) claimed credit for the cancellation of the Nellis drag show event.
Gaetz has repeatedly pressured the DOD to discontinue support for drag performances and reveal how much taxpayer funding has previously been used on such events.
The Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT advocacy organization, condemned the DOD for its latest decision to cancel the Nellis event, claiming that the Pentagon is “ceding to extremist forces focused on taking away our rights.”