GOP Congressman claims US Navy denied using non-binary TikTok drag queen as 'digital ambassador'

The Navy had denied the existence of a recruitment outreach program that featured an active-duty drag queen as a 'digital ambassador' during a March phone call with the House Armed Services Committee.

Although the program ran from October 2022 to March of this year and featured drag performer Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley as one of five 'digital ambassadors', the Navy appeared embarrassed by it's own decision and said the recruitment drive 'did not exist.'

The Navy is facing a recruitment crisis and is expected to fall 8,000 people short of its goals for the year.  

In an attempt to rectify the issue, it launched a campaign with drag queen influencer Kelley, who is non-binary and goes by the stage name Harpy Daniels. 

The Navy had wanted to use Kelley in order to promote diversity in their workforce.

House Armed Services Committee phone call saw the Navy deny the existence of a recruitment outreach program that featured an active-duty drag queen, pictured above

While the campaign was active, Kelley (pictured) was one of five digital ambassadors. Kelley has 61,000 followers on TikTok where they have been sharing videos of drag performances on-board Navy ships for years 

News of the denial was revealed by Representative Jim Banks (R-Indiana), Chairman of the HASC Subcommittee on Military Personnel to the New York Post.

'We are facing a historic recruitment crisis and instead of focusing efforts on strengthening our force, the Biden administration is forcing wokeness on our service members,' Banks said.

'Navy leadership knew this was a ridiculous and embarrassing stunt, and that is why they initially denied involvement with the program.'

Banks, himself a Navy veteran, together with Representative Mark Alford (R-Missouri), has now written a formal letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin that seeks answers as to why lawmakers were misled. 

The letter asks for a response within the next two weeks and demands an explanation for the Navy's denial of the program's existence. It also requests a list of the Department of Defense (DoD) officials involved that chose Kelley as a digital ambassador.

News of the denial of the recruitment program was revealed by Representative Jim Banks (R-Indiana), Chairman of the HASC Subcommittee on Military Personnel

Last week, the Navy defended Kelley's participation in the program and emphasized the Navy's commitment to inclusivity

In November, the Navy hired an active-duty drag queen to boost recruitment.

Kelley, pictured as Harpy Daniels, said he was inspired by the drag queens on RuPaul's Drag Race, which he started watching when he was 16

Furthermore, the congressman want to know who authorized Kelley's drag performances for fellow troops on the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier. 

They also wish to know the identities of the other four 'digital ambassadors' that are said to have been involved with the campaign.

'It now appears that not only did the Navy engage in this misguided effort, but it incomprehensibly believed that this woke campaign should become the defining face of the service,' Banks and Alford wrote in the letter. 

'While the Navy previously dismissed the existence of the ambassador program, a US Navy spokesman recently embraced the effort in responding to the backlash.' 

The pair want to see 'wokeness' eliminated from in the military and have criticized the Navy for selecting Kelley arguing: 'perception is driving reality, and both current and former service members are alarmed at 'a culture putting 'wokeness' before training and combat effectiveness.'

'Fringe ideologies and drag shows have no place in our military. Rather, the military should be focused on deterring adversaries and remaining a lethal force to defend the nation,' they wrote.

The program Kelley was part of ran from October 2022 to March 2023 and was designed to 'explore the digital environment to reach a wide range of potential candidates' for recruitment

Non-binary Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley moonlights as cross-dressing performer 'Harpy Daniels'.

The Navy says Kelley was hired as part of a pilot scheme - which has since ended - in an attempt 'to attract the most talented and diverse workforce'

'Promoting drag shows does nothing to enhance military readiness and war-fighting capabilities.'

But last week, the Navy defended Kelley's participation in the program and emphasized the Navy's commitment to inclusivity.

'The Navy is proud of and stands by any person who is willing to take an oath to put their life on the line in defense of this nation.

'Much like the country we serve, our Navy is stronger when we draw upon our diverse resources, skills, capabilities and talents. We remain committed to an inclusive environment.'

Previously, the Navy had been open about its digital ambassador program. 

In January 2022, the Office of the Navy Chief of Information touted its reaching out to include individuals who had access to audiences comprising of young women and communities of color - perhaps not typically drawn to the Navy for a career. 

Kelley, whose drag name is Harpy Daniels, has been performing on Navy ships since 2017

Kelley said they began dressing in drag and performing in shows while still in high school

While the campaign was active, Kelley was one of five digital ambassadors.

Kelley joined the Navy in 2016 and has 61,000 followers on TikTok where they have been sharing videos of drag performances onboard Navy ships for years.

In a post this weekend, they thanked their followers and asked them to also support the four other ambassadors.

'Also give that same respect and support to the other four outstanding sailors that also did the Navy digital ambassador pilot,' they said.

'In the Navy any one has the ability to lead and make a difference no matter the rank, race, gender, sexual orientation, or background. We all fight for the same mission and goals to be a stronger and better Navy,' Kelley wrote in the caption.

A Navy spokesman told DailyMail.com the digital ambassador program was a pilot that ended in March 2023. 

The Navy's decision to promote Kelley was part of its larger efforts to reach Gen Z.

It ran a series of ads on social media platforms like Instagram, as well as on TV and streaming services tailored to the younger generation.

The military branch even updated its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion statement, which it promoted prominently online.

'Our Navy is committed to enabling a workforce demographic similar to that of the nation it serves,' the statement now reads.

'With nearly 50 percent of recruitable talent coming from diverse talent, the Navy must be deliberate to create a culture where every person, regardless of their background, has the opportunity to succeed.'

Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, whose stage name is Harpy Daniels, announced on TikTok in November that they would be the Navy's first 'digital ambassador,' highlighting their journey from performing on board beginning in 2018 and growing to become an 'advocate' for those who 'were oppressed for years in the service'

The Navy's decision to promote Kelley was part of its larger efforts to reach Gen Z

LGBTQ+ members of the military have fought for decades to serve openly. 

In 1993, President Bill Clinton signed 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell,' which barred gay and lesbian Americans from serving openly, but was supposed to prohibit discrimination. 

That policy got overturned by President Barack Obama and Democratic majorities in Congress in 2010. 

In 2016, under the Obama administration, the ban on transgender service members was lifted. 

However, in July 2017, then President Donald Trump reintroduced the ban via tweet. 

President Joe Biden reversed the ban on his fifth day in office in January 2021. 

More broadly, Republicans have continued to target the LGBTQ community with new laws. 

In 2023, the American Civil Liberties Union tracked 471 anti-LGBTQ bills being pushed around the country.