A former Space Force lieutenant who was ousted from his post for lamenting the proliferation of critical racial theories in the military has spoken out about the drag queen the United States Navy uses as a recruiting ambassador.
Matthew Lohmeier, who used to lead the 11th Space Warning Squadron in Colorado until it was deposed in 2021 after denouncing CRT and Marxism on a podcast, questioned who the Navy was trying to reach with its latest recruiting tactic.
“I have to wonder who our senior military leaders actually think they are targeting in the recruitment process by hiring a drag queen as a digital ambassador,” Lohmeier said in a recent interview with Fox News.
He was referring to Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, who was named the Navy’s “digital ambassador” under a pilot program that began in November and ran through March.
The decision to use the drag queen as an ambassador has garnered a strong reaction as people criticize the move.
Matthew Lohmeier appeared on Fox News and asked who the Navy was hoping to recruit
Matthew Lohmeier was the head of the 11th Space Warning Squadron in Colorado before being removed from his post in 2021 for a podcast he denounced critical race theory
Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley goes by the stage name “Harpy Daniels” and is now a United States Navy recruiting ambassador
Kelley goes by the stage name “Harpy Daniels” and has a strong following on social media, including TikTok, with 60,800 followers and 1.3 million likes. Kelley is also on Instagram with nearly 9,000 followers.
In the videos, Kelley often starts out in uniform and then reappears as Harpy Daniels. The non-binary drag queen often dances and shares an inspirational message about being an LGBTQ+ sailor.
Lohmeier told Fox News he was upset with the Navy’s decision and predicted that Kelley’s position as spokesman for recruitment would not help.
He said most military personnel “believe in the Western nuclear family” and are cautious about exposing children to drag queens.
The former lieutenant said the situation was just another example of leftist agendas finding their way into the armed forces.
“We’ve known for the last several years during the Biden administration that this is happening with increasing frequency,” he said. “What is surprising is that senior military leaders continue to push an agenda like this, even though it hurts our recruitment efforts and retention.”
He added that there were likely senior members of the military who disliked Kelley’s deployment but were unable to speak out, leaving it to “late” members of the armed forces to voice those opinions.
However, some government officials have spoken out against Kelley’s position.
A group of 14 Republican senators wrote a letter to Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro on Wednesday asking why the Navy had recruited a “TikTok drag queen” to boost recruitment numbers.
Sens. Ted Cruz, Rick Scott, Marco Rubio and others told Del Toro that “we are concerned about both the promotion of a banned app and behavior that many believe is inappropriate in a professional workplace.”
Kelley said she started dressing in drag and performing in shows while she was in high school
Kelley announced on TikTok in November that she would be the Navy’s first “digital ambassador,” highlighting her journey from performing onboard beginning in 2018 to her evolution to becoming an “advocate” for those who have “served years of service.” were suppressed”.
In the letter, Republicans first took issue with the Navy’s apparent support for TikTok with Kelley’s election as “digital ambassador.”
They pointed to the No TikTok on Government Devices Act, which President Joe Biden signed into law in December, which prevents the app from being downloaded to US government devices due to its Chinese ownership.
“The bottom line is that the Navy should not encourage the use of TikTok, an app banned on Department devices, on the personal devices of service members or their ‘ambassadors,'” the letter reads.
Republicans then moved on to the Navy’s decision to make a drag queen a “digital ambassador.”
“At a time when our nation’s military is facing a recruiting crisis, reaching broader segments of the eligible population is more important than ever — but not at the expense of privacy, safety or professionalism,” Republicans argued.
In the letter, they ask Del Toro if the Navy supports drag shows.
“Would the Navy recruit burlesque dancers or exotic dancers to reach potential recruits?” ask the senators. “Such work is not appropriate for promotion in a professional job or in the US military,” they add.
The senators then asked Del Toro a series of questions about the ambassador program, including whether federal funds were being spent.
They gave the Secretary of the Navy until May 24 to respond.
Kelley goes by the stage name “Harpy Daniels” and has a strong following on social media, including TikTok, with 60,800 followers and 1.3 million likes. Kelley is also on Instagram with nearly 9,000 followers
Kelley joined the Navy in 2016 and made his first drag performance as a sailor during a 2018 deployment.
In a November post, when Kelley was named “Digital Ambassador,” the drag queen wrote that sharing drag with fellow sailors was “a blessing.”
“This experience has brought me so much strength, courage and ambition to continue to be an advocate and representative of queer sailors!” Kelly wrote.
“Thanks to the Navy for giving me this opportunity! I don’t speak for the Navy, just sharing my experience in the Navy! Hooyah, let’s go Slay!’ added the drag queen.
For decades, LGBTQ+ members of the military have fought to serve openly.
In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, which prohibited gay and lesbian Americans from serving openly but should prohibit discrimination.
This policy was overturned in 2010 by President Barack Obama and Democratic majorities in Congress.
In 2016, under the Obama administration, the ban on transgender service members was lifted.
However, in July 2017, then-President Donald Trump reinstated the ban via tweet.
President Joe Biden lifted the ban on his fifth day in office in January 2021.
More broadly, Republicans have continued to target the LGBTQ community with new legislation.
In 2023, the American Civil Liberties Union prosecuted 471 anti-LGBTQ laws that circulated across the country.