Rep. Robert Garcia: ‘The Army that defeated Hitler and saved the world included drag queens’. The California Democrat expertly demolished a Republican proposal to ban drag shows on military bases — but it passed the House of Representatives anyways.

https://www.advocate.com/politics/robert-garcia-drag-ban-military#rebelltitem1

22 comments

  1. Traditional drag shows were not put on by drag queens.

  2. >***”My Republican colleagues want us to believe that ‘these gays are trying to murder us,’” he said, referencing Jennifer Coolidge’s*** [***iconic scene in*** ](https://www.advocate.com/people/jennifer-coolidge-evil-gays-emmys)[***White Lotus***](https://www.advocate.com/people/jennifer-coolidge-evil-gays-emmys) ***season two. “They want us to believe that drag is harmful, or immoral and wrong. This is ridiculous.”***

    >Garcia zeroed in on the drag ban when it was his turn to speak, expertly dismantling the measure by citing the [military’s storied history](https://www.advocate.com/news/drag-cancelled-pentagon-nevada) of hiring female impersonators for entertainment.

    >“We can document and celebrate Drag shows on military bases since the late 1800s and through both world wars. The USO and the Red Cross supported drag during World War II,” Garcia said. “That’s right: The Army that defeated Hitler and saved the world included drag queens.”

    >He continued, “Ronald Reagan starred in a movie called *This Is the Army!* — a movie about World War II that featured four drag performances. And he’s not the only Republican president who knew that drag can be fun and sometimes silly.”

    >*Garcia added that in the face of “threats to the health and well-being of our service members and their families” such as “poisoned water, toxic mold in military housing, PTSD, and suicide,” he was “stunned to see that the Republican idea to protect our troops is to ban drag shows.”*

    >Garcia then called out the hypocrisy of the GOP for referring to drag as “obscenity” and banning it when they did not have condemnation for Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene after [she showed nude images](https://www.advocate.com/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-nude-pics) of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter during a hearing.

    >***“Mr. Speaker, drag is art. Drag is culture. Drag is creativity. Drag is comedy. And no, drag is not a crime. It’s not pornography,” Garcia said. “The real obscenity is when one of our colleagues, the gentlewoman from Georgia, shows literal posters of revenge porn in our Oversight Committee! If we want to end porn in government facilities, let’s ban that.”***

    This is ridiculous in every way. Out of all the things Republicans wish to focus on to help veterans, they only care about attacking drag performers, as if they are doing anything to hurt anyone. Drag performers are harmless and excellent. They do such tremendous good for so many people. I’d feel more comfortable with a drag queen than with a chaplain, I can tell you that.

    This is all utter bullshit from snollygoster Republicans trying to fulfill their culture warrior rigamarole. The Republican Party is just not serious about doing anything to help anybody. They only care about appealing to Christofascists, who want all queer people buried in the grave.

  3. An impassioned, effective speech from a rep I’m proud of, but it fell on deaf ears. Republicans have hearts of stone and put no value in the words or lives of anyone who is not a Republican like them.

    I’m so tired of these blatantly evil people having so much power in our country.

  4. “These sorts of folks have defeated Hitler in the past…[they can help stop it again]”

    And then they voted against this.

    My question is: Why is anyone surprised?

  5. watch the bridge on the river kwai. there’s like a fifteen minute drag musical in the middle of it.

  6. Didn’t they do drag shows in POW camps

    What about the times of Shakespeare

    What about ancient Greeks.

    Drags been around longer than all these snowflake pussys.

    I would say fuck em, but I know that’s what they want from their grinder profiles

  7. I’m glad that the least effective Congress in history has found time for this particular issue /s

  8. MASH. Even right wingers enjoyed that show without having a meltdown. Snowflakes today.

  9. Somebody please tell Rep. Robert Garcia that the army that defeated Hitler was Russian.

  10. I thought it was “aBoUt tHe cHiLdReN”? Isn’t the military full of adults?

  11. This demonization of drag queens is just the latest useless nonsense coming out of the Republican Party. They’re running out of boogeymen so now that have to come up with new ones. Anything to deflect the blame from the actual source of our problems, themselves.

  12. There is a picture of soldiers in drag manning guns because they were in the middle of a drag show when duty called. Let’s all just vote this November so we can be released from this hateful madness.

  14. We could do something actually useful like making sure our veterans get proper health care, but Republicans would rather do this.

  15. Please go listen to “There is Nothin’ Like a Dame”. This is a ludicrous ban.

  17. Glad republicans are focused on the important things /s

  18. Dumb question…approximately how many drag shows occur on a military base?

  19. None of those dudes trying to ban drag on bases have served in the military, have they?

  20. If the army that defeated Hitler was the army of today it would swear allegiance to him, stage a coup to overthrow Roosevelt, install Heinz Spanknöbel as president, and begin “deporting” Americans.

  21. Epic owns don’t equate to policy change. This isn’t the West Wing

  22. I realize this is not exactly to the point but have none of these people ever seen MASH?

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