Drag queen who was Navy’s ‘digital ambassador’ says she ‘don’t care about haters’

The non-binary drag queen who was tapped to be a “digital ambassador” for the US Navy has lashed out at haters in a new video when she revealed she has received death threats for her role.

Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, whose stage name is Harpy Daniels, posted a new TikTok video on Tuesday lip-syncing to singer Jared Leto’s reaction to his inspiration for a red carpet outfit saying it was “actually DGAF,” a acronym for “don’t give f***.”

The video came as it emerged she was one of only five active sailors to participate in the Navy’s “digital ambassadors” program to reach a younger audience.

The program has since ended, a Navy spokesman told DailyMail.com, but former servicemen are now criticizing the military arm for using a drag queen to promote the armed forces.

Among those speaking out was podcaster Graham Allen, who tweeted, “This is not the same army I served under. Our enemies LAUGH at us.’

Allen included a video in his tweet showing Kelley in his various drag outfits.

But it inspired Kelley – who uses she/her pronouns – to speak out in what she called her “first rebuttal.”

Kelley wrote directly to Allen on Instagram on Tuesday, saying, “You want to take down service members and use my content without a tag so you don’t look homophobic or transphobic.”

She then elaborated on a history of LGBTQ rights in the military, writing, “Queer people were oppressed in the military for years, only until 2011 and trans people since 2021.”

“You only want to support the military if it benefits you and doesn’t involve strange people,” Kelley continued. “Yet the army is the largest diverse and flexible organization there is.

“Better call me a slander than use content from five years ago,” he said. “But that video you share was published in 2018, you had nothing to say until now.

You don’t really care, you just need more followers, more content and more people to praise someone who only creates toxic environments and hate.

“You don’t care if I get death threats, people trying to harm me, or spreading misinformation,” Kelley wrote. “You just want the spotlight.

“Well, as a service member, a queen and an open queer person, don’t scare me and don’t stop the LGBTQ+ community [from] healthy.

“Haters only hate when we win.”

She added in the video “LGBTQ+ people serve loud and proud.”

But Allen wasn’t alone in speaking out about Kelley’s role in recent days, with many comparing her to Dylan Mulvaney, the trans activist whose association with Bud Light caused a PR crisis for the brand and plummeted sales.

The US Navy is now using Drag Queen Joshua Kelley (AKA Harpy Daniels) to recruit new enlistees.

“This should frighten our enemies,” joked one critic.

“So the US military is missing recruiting targets by miles… and instead of getting a lead, their strategy is to hire a drag queen influencer named Harpy Daniels to hit recruiting targets?

“I’m sure China is terrified!” said another.

Robert J. O’Neill, a decorated combat veteran who served eight years as a member of SEAL Team Six, also said on Twitter that he “cannot believe [he] fought for this bulls**t.’

‘Agree. The US Navy is now using an enlisted sailor Drag Queen as a recruiter,” he wrote. ‘I’m ready. China is going to destroy us.’

The tweet quickly gained 1.1 million views and thousands of likes and retweets.

“As a Marine Veteran, I am ashamed on behalf of the United States Navy. I hope that comes across as well as Bud Light,” one person commented.

“This is beyond disturbing. I am a former military officer and I just can’t believe what our military is doing,” added another.

“An insult to any veteran and his families. My father just rolled over in his grave in Arlington. I’m so glad he didn’t have to see this happen,” one woman wrote.

Kelley first announced she would serve as a non-paid digital ambassador in a video posted to her TikTok in November, highlighting her journey from performing on board in early 2018 to becoming an “advocate” for those who ‘were suppressed for years of service.’

She said her experiences in the Navy “have given me so much strength, courage and ambition to continue being a lawyer and” [representative] of foreign sailors.’

Kelley has said she started dressing in drag and performing in shows while still in high school, taking inspiration from the queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race – which she started watching at age 16.

After deciding to follow in her father’s footsteps and join the Navy, Kelley decided to perform on ships at a sanctioned MWR (Morale. Welfare and Recreation) lip-syncing competition in 2017 while deployed on the USS Ronald Reagan.

Soon she became a fixture in the competitions, according to NBC newsand soon her twin brother also took up drag.

The officer insists she has never experienced harassment in the Navy, but when she was scheduled to perform at a diversity, equality, and inclusion event at Langley Joint Air Force Base in the summer of 2022, it caused a stir among many. conservatives and Christian extremists. ‘

“I am an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, and being able to drag is not just for me, but a tribute to many service members who were kicked out, harassed, bullied or worse for being openly gay during Don’t Ask, Don ‘t Tell,’ he told the USS Constitution Museum in an interview, referring to Bush-era policies that prevented military members from disclosing their sexual orientation.

‘It radiates representation and that is much needed in a culture and organization that has avoided us for so long.’

Harpy Daniels now has more than 60,000 followers on TikTok and more than 8,000 on Instagram.