The military’s experiencing a metamorphosis.

In years past, America’s Armed Forces were presented as a bastion of steel-jawed toughness.

There was once the notion that enlisting would “make a man out of” entrants.

The best I can tell, a conscious attempt at rebranding is afoot.

Apropos of that, as relayed by Breitbart, Nevada’s Nellis Air Force Base recently hosted an event which would once have been thought at odds with the service branches.

The production: a drag show.

“Drag-u-Nellis” marks a Nellis first.

An invitation to the program — which took place June 17th — was posted to Twitter (and previously shared by RedState’s streiff):

Here We Go and the Devil Is a Lie: U.S. Nellis Air Force Base Near Las Vegas Hosts Drag Queen Show – https://t.co/VhL0rGlDfc pic.twitter.com/syypsnD3r5

— BCNN1 (@bcnn1) June 26, 2021

Performing:

Coco Montrese
Makena Knight
Alexis Matho

[Language Warning]

Meet our first lip-sync assassin of the season, the LEGENDARY @cocomontrese 👑#AllStars6 pic.twitter.com/Dgj6yS8efB

— World of Wonder (@WorldOfWonder) June 25, 2021

The queen herself alexis mateo supporting rabiya’s run on miss universe😭😻 pic.twitter.com/SVfMTltQ06

— V 🏳️‍🌈 cw hormones 3 (@earthmixsfaen) May 17, 2021

Drag queens appear to be coming into their own.

This month, an Arkansas women’s shelter fundraiser featured the “Purple Reign” drag show.

The shelter noted, “Domestic Violence affects the LGBTQIA+ community at rates significantly higher than any other demographic community.”

Also in Arkansas, the state’s eponymous public university paid $11,000 for a virtual drag show in March.

For kiddos, a Nickelodeon Blue’s Clues, Pride month episode offered a parade song led by RuPaul’s Drag Race contestant Nina West in animated form:

Nickelodeon later introduced Nina in the flesh:

West also made it to Disney+:

Disney+ To Host Pride Concert Featuring Nina West, Hayley Kiyoko, Todrick Hall & Kermit The Frog https://t.co/G1vPRlraxz

— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 17, 2021

And LEGO’s been in the mix:

Lego Announces Its Gender-Nonbinary Playset Featuring a Black Drag Queen
https://t.co/E8UpkowTbs

— RedState (@RedState) May 21, 2021

Back to the military, for a quick review of what drag previously meant, here’s 54 seconds of television history:

As mentioned, the service is changing its look.

To that end, the U.S. Army’s dress code’s been updated to allow for earrings, lipstick, nail colors, polished men’s nails, and — perhaps most importantly — better breastfeeding.

Meanwhile, a general’s called for more women in combat, and the Navy’s placing focus on interior decoration:

In the Battle for Inclusion, U.S. Navy Employs the Weapon of Interior Decorating
https://t.co/m4Nbub7MHK

— RedState (@RedState) June 3, 2021

Plus:

History-Making Defense Secretary Hails More History: For Transgenderism in the Military
https://t.co/orjEaWX164

— RedState (@RedState) January 24, 2021

Call it a transformation.

And for trans performers — or, more accurately, drag — recently, the Air Force appropriated the Army and let them be all that they can be.

As shared by Breitbart, Nellis issued a statement explaining the endeavor:

The event was sponsored by a private organization and provided an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the history and significance of drag performance art within the LGBT+ community.

The few, the proud, the diverse:

Ensuring our ranks reflect and are inclusive of the American people is essential to the morale, cohesion, and readiness of the military. Nellis Air Force Base is committed to providing and championing an environment that is characterized by equal opportunity, diversity and inclusion.

The show was held at the Nellis Club, which — as stated on its website — “is a consolidated club offering a versatile dining and entertainment experience for all its members. Serving lunch each weekday, offering a gourmet sandwich line, two bar areas, newly-renovated Time-Out Lounge, and private event spaces.”

Breitbart relays one attendee of Drag-u-Nellis posted to social media, “Had a fun night…at a drag Queen show at nellis afb last night.”

I’m sure it was fun.

Was the military “fun” before? Probably not as much as it is now.

-ALEX

See more pieces from me:

COVID Wins Again: Olympics Bans Cheering, Advises Crowds to ‘Feel Joy in Their Hearts’ Instead

Amazon Offered a School District Kindles for Kids, the District Requested ‘Antiracism’ Books

For Pride Weekend, Bar Bans Budweiser Due to ‘Donations That Fuel Hate’

Find all my RedState work here.

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