The U.S. Navy hired a drag performer as part of a now-concluded pilot program designed to boost service recruiting.
Yeoman 2nd Class Joshua Kelley, the drag performer who goes by the stage name “Harpy Daniels,” claimed in a November 2022 Instagram post that the service had invited him to become a “digital ambassador.” In an emailed statement to NTD News on Wednesday, a Navy spokeswoman confirmed that Kelley was employed in the service’s pilot program.
“The Navy Digital Ambassador Program was a pilot initiative designed to explore the digital environment to reach a wide range of potential candidates as the Navy navigates the most challenging recruiting environment it has faced since the start of the all-volunteer force,” said a Navy spokeswoman. “The pilot has concluded; we are evaluating the program and how it will exist in the future.”…