Joshua Kelley | |
|---|---|
 YN2 Kelley in June 2020 | |
| Born | Joshua J. Kelley 1993/1994(age 30–31) |
| Other names | Harpy Daniels |
| Occupations |
|
| Military career | |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Years | 2016–present (8.8 years) |
| Rank | Petty officer second class |
| Unit | |
| Known for | Drag performing |
Joshua J. Kelley (born 1993/1994) is a drag queen and United States Navy sailor.
Joshua J. Kelley was born in 1993or1994 as one of two twin boys, and grew up in Berwick, Pennsylvania. [1] In 2018, their father was a Navy counselor, a senior chief petty officer with 24 years military service. [2]
A fan of RuPaul's Drag Race in their teens, Kelley began pursuing drag as their passion after seeing a drag show at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in 2013. Kelley's drag persona is named Harpy Daniels (named for their favorite animal, the harpy eagle), [1] who was named Miss Gay Harrisburg's pageant queen in 2015. [2] In 2020, Kelley identified as a gay man, [3] but was reportedly identifying as non-binary by 2023. [4] [5]
Kelley joined the United States Navy in February 2016 for the financial stability afforded by the military. [2] They became a yeoman. Their first assignment was with VFA-115 [3] aboard USS Ronald Reagan, with a stint in Yokosuka, Japan. [6] As of June 2020 [update] , they were stationed at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division as a petty officer second class. [3]
In their first two years, they were named VFA-115's Blue Jacket of the Year and voted their president for Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions; they became the public affairs officer for Reagan's Gay, Lesbian and Supporting Sailors; and received their first Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. They also perform as Harpy Daniels while serving in the Navy: Morale, Welfare and Recreation has sponsored Daniels performances, and they won second place in a 2017 lip sync competition, earning a Navy Exchange gift card for US$1,000(equivalent to $1,243 in 2023). [2]
Despite the US military's spotty history with LGBT members (e.g. don't ask, don't tell), Kelley said in 2018 that—in their experience—all that mattered was whether a sailor could go their job: "that's what it comes down to in the Navy. No one tells me I'm too feminine. I've not once had a bad experience as a gay man in the military". [6]
When, from October 2022 to March 2023, the Navy piloted a program "designed to explore the digital environment to reach a wide range of potential candidates" in an effort to recruit more sailors, [7] YN2 Kelley was one of five active sailors named a digital ambassador; [8] they used their inclusive platform to promote their positive experiences in the Navy as an LGBT enlistee and drag queen. [7]
This begs the question whether the Navy endorses the personal posts of its influencers and 'ambassadors.' If so, does the Navy endorse drag shows? Where does the Navy draw the line on promotion of the personal activities of its influencers? Would the Navy enlist burlesque dancers or exotic dancers to reach possible recruits? [...] Such activity is not appropriate for promotion in a professional workplace or the United States military.
Two months after the program ended, right-wing extremists —including Libs of TikTok and Dear America Podcast—learned of Kelley's inclusion and began publishing abusive material about and directed at the active-duty sailor. [4] Robert J. O'Neill, a former Navy SEAL, criticized the Navy's alleged unreadiness to combat China because of Kelley's participation in the program, saying, "I can't believe I fought for this bullshit." [9] Contemporaneously, a group of Republican senators (including Marco Rubio) wrote to the Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, and requested he justify why the Navy partnered with Kelley, whom they alleged "promoted the use of Chinese-owned social media and inappropriately represented the service [with] behaviors and activities many Americans deem inappropriate." [8]
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Media related to Joshua Kelley (sailor) at Wikimedia Commons