Conduct of Navy ‘drag queen’ digital ambassador grounds for court-martial: Legal complaint
Breccan F. Thies
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America First Legal is demanding an investigation into the ‘non-binary’-identifying drag queen digital ambassador the United States Navy chose to be the face of an online recruitment drive.
The U.S. Navy hired active duty Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, who goes by the pseudonym Harpy Daniels when wearing women’s clothing, amid dwindling recruitment numbers.
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In its 2023 budget, the Navy said one of its goals to combat a “challenging recruiting environment” is to “attract the most talented and diverse workforce … through advertising and career events.” The Navy became roiled in controversy after its decision to make Kelley an ambassador.
AFL claims Kelley violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice on several occasions, as he has “engaged in partisan activity, behaved in ways that discredit the military, publicly criticized his command, and misused his uniform for personal gain,” according to a letter to top Navy officials obtained by the Washington Examiner.
“In order to preserve the Navy’s reputation, swift action must be taken to restore good order and discipline and to prevent further partisan activity that implies Navy endorsement of particular candidates and causes,” AFL counsel Jacob Meckler said in a press release. “America First Legal will not stand by and allow Kelley to sacrifice the military’s reputation in pursuit of his own partisan agenda.”
Aside from his posts wearing women’s clothing, included in the letter are several graphic pictures and descriptions of sexual acts, wherein at least one Kelley was also wearing the uniform.
On Jan. 20, 2020, Kelley posted to Twitter a description of himself giving oral sex to another male, during which he got a nosebleed.
In an August 23, 2019, Twitter post, Kelley posted a picture of himself wearing the uniform and holding a mug, with the caption, “Hold on I haven’t had my coffee or daily dose of glitter and d***.”
“These posts present a distorted view of the Navy to the public and bring discredit upon the armed forces,” the AFL letter states, saying the posts are grounds for a court-martial.
The letter also shows Kelley engaging in what AFL says is “inappropriate partisan activity,” as uniformed service members are barred from being publicly political.
Kelley has made posts about how his ballot was “blue” while supporting Democrat Stacey Abrams’s gubernatorial bid in Georgia, adding that he would “speak so much more of my political view” if he were “out of uniform.” He also posted about how “The Blue Wave is here and taking Storm,” and criticized a Florida bill signed by GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) to bar classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity prior to fourth grade.
He also retweeted a post calling former President Donald Trump a “motherf*****,” and endorsing criminal charges being brought against him.
AFL noted several instances where politically conservative service members were court-martialed, including Marine Corps Sgt. Gary Stein, who created an “Armed Forces Tea Party” Facebook group in 2012 that was critical of then-President Barack Obama.
Some of Kelley’s public criticisms of Trump occurred while the former president was in office, which AFL says amounts to another violation because he showed open contempt for his military superiors, which would include Trump as commander-in-chief.
“Clearly Trump is trying to bring back the Tidepod Challenge … or empowering anal bleaching!!” he said of Trump in one tweet, while saying Trump “agree[d] to white supremacy” and urging people to “Please vote, if not yet registered!! #Democrat” in another.
Kelley’s drag queen posts online, where he often juxtaposes himself in uniform with himself in a dress, wig, and makeup, are violations as well because Kelley engages in “misuse of the uniform,” according to AFL’s letter.
The Navy’s reputation was tarnished by Kelley’s activities, AFL says, especially since he used the name “Navy Drag Queen” in his Twitter bio.
“YN2 Kelley’s videos discredit the Navy in the eyes of most Americans and embroil the Navy in political controversy,” the letter states. “Contrary to controlling military requirements, he makes extensive use of his Navy affiliation to boost his public profile and facilitate his homosexual activism.”
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The letter was sent to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro, Naval Inspector General Vice Admiral John V. Fuller, Deputy Naval Inspector General Catherine Donovan, and Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael M. Gilday.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Department of Defense and Kelley for comment.
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