Jeopardy! Champion Highlights Historical Military Acceptance of Drag
Washington D.C. – Jeopardy! champion Amy Schneider publicly challenged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to halt the promotion of Rear Adm. Michael Donnelly, a move reportedly linked to drag performances that occurred during Donnelly’s command of the USS Ronald Reagan.
Schneider took to Threads yesterday, pointing out the long history of drag performances as entertainment within the British military, even during periods of significant global conflict. “The British military had drag shows constantly while they were at the same time conquering, like, the entire world,” she wrote. Hegseth withdrew Donnelly’s nomination in July, despite the admiral’s prior Senate confirmation by a vote of the full Senate, but did not publicly state a reason for the reversal.
The controversy centers on performances by Yeoman 1st Class Joshua Kelley, who performs as Harpy Daniels, during the USS Ronald Reagan’s deployment between 2016 and 2018. Kelley clarified that his performance was a brief morale boost for shipmates, consistent with historical military traditions. “To clarify the record, I never was a part of a drag show, I was only one Queen who had a moment to shine for seven minutes to boost the morale of my shipmates just like they have throughout military history,” Kelley told Queerty. Historical evidence, including a 1940 photograph of British soldiers pausing a drag show to defend against a Nazi air attack, demonstrates a longstanding acceptance of drag within military culture – a tradition that extends to the United States, as documented by the National WWII Museum.
Drag performances were common in U.S. military productions during World War II, initially to provide entertainment when female performers were scarce, and later became widely accepted. This practice even extended to Broadway and film, with future President Ronald Reagan introducing a drag performance in the film adaptation of Irving Berlin’s “This Is the Army.” The debate over Donnelly’s promotion underscores the ongoing tension between evolving social norms and conservative viewpoints within the military, potentially impacting future diversity and inclusion efforts. Snopes has verified the authenticity of the WWII-era photograph.
The Pentagon has not issued a further statement regarding the matter, and it remains unclear whether Hegseth will reconsider Donnelly’s nomination.
