Drag performances took place on board the USS Ronald Reagan under the command of a Navy captain whose promotion to rear admiral is currently being blocked by Republican Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville.

Capt. Michael Donnelly served as commanding officer of the aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan from April 2016 to September 2018. During that time period, Yeoman 2rd Class Joshua Kelley was performing as a drag queen at Morale, Welfare, and Recreation department-sanctioned events on the carrier under the drag name “Harpy Daniels.” …

“The USS Ronald Reagan drag shows of 2017 and 2018 were not random acts of entertainment for sailors, but were sanctioned Navy programs under the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) department of the ship,” he noted. “As commander of the ship, Captain Donnelly would have been ultimately responsible for this program.”

[There are some ‘drag’ traditions in naval forces, including one for those crossing the Equator for the first time. These usually are officially overlooked by senior officers. A drag show, however, would need approval from the captain. The big question will be why Donnelly approved them or allowed them, and whether that’s a normal experience for US Navy enlistees performing at such shows. I suspect the Navy would prefer not to comment. — Ed]