GOP lawmakers want to cement Pentagon ban on drag shows

House Armed Services Committee Republicans want to codify a newly enforced Pentagon ban on drag shows, which they made clear Wednesday when they adopted an amendment that would bar funding for such performances into its version of the annual defense policy bill.

The provision, introduced by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) as the panel held a markup of its draft version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), was passed 33-26.  

“I think it’s time for us to do something to make our voice known that we will not let this happen in the U.S. military – woke ideology and the drag queen shows have no place in our military, zero, bupkis. That is not the way to recruit people,” Rep. Mark Alford (R-Mo.) said in support of the amendment.  

Republicans this year have hammered the Pentagon over drag shows, leading to a newly enforced ban on the events across military bases and aboard ships. 

The prohibition was held up in late May after months of intense GOP criticism, including during a March congressional hearing in which both Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley expressed disapproval of federal funding for drag show events on defense installations.  

But Democrats contended that the efforts to restrict drag in the military are part of a larger movement to scuttle the rights of LGBTQ+ people and that the House committee should instead focus on more pressing issues that affect service members and their families.  

“I represent the largest military community in the entire country and I can confidently say that not a single service member or military family has ever, not once, complained to me about drag shows,” said Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.) whose district outside San Diego sits nearby or houses numerous Marine Corps and Navy bases. “They call me about housing. They call me about childcare. They call me about food security. They call me about many, many things. They do not call me about drag shows.” 

She added: “If we’re sitting here in Congress belittling and dehumanizing the trans community and mocking the art of drag, that’s not living up to our values, and our allies and our adversaries are taking notice.” 

Democrats also pointed out that drag shows on U.S. bases long held significance in American military culture without attracting public controversy, going back decades. 

Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) reminded his colleagues that legendary comedian Bob Hope performed in drag for troops saying, “I don’t think this is the first time this has been going on. You might want to Google it.” 

The committee also passed within a bloc of amendments a provision from Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) that would suspend the Navy Digital Ambassador Program. The initiative caught partisan fire after the service chose Navy sailor Joshua Kelley, who was also a TikTok drag queen known as Harpy Daniels, to help reach potential recruits on social media. 

The Pentagon has said the pilot program was an outreach initiative, not a recruiting effort.

The amendment’s inclusion in the NDAA comes amid a record-high amount of legislation targeting drag shows and LGBTQ rights, with dozens of state bills introduced by Republican lawmakers seeking to crack down on performances.  

The most recent of such bills was signed into law by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Tuesday. The legislation bans “sexually oriented performances” that take place in the presence of minors and is slated to take effect Sept. 1.