For today's American generals, planning and implementing a poor military operation may not result in any punishment, but taking the wrong side on LBGT+ issues could lead to serious "retaliation" later.

According to the US Naval Institute News website, which reported on July 11 local time, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has officially rejected the nomination of Rear Admiral Michael Donnelly for promotion to Vice Admiral and appointment as Commander of the Seventh Fleet, citing that he once organized his subordinates to perform in a drag show.

Public information shows that US Navy Rear Admiral Michael Donnelly is an experienced officer with a long career in the navy, having served as a grassroots naval pilot, commanded a naval air squadron, and held command positions in several important units such as the USS Reagan aircraft carrier, the U.S. Forces in South Korea, the 5th Aircraft Carrier Strike Group, and the 70th Task Force. According to information from the U.S. Congress website, the U.S. Senate approved the promotion nominations of Donnelly and four other senior naval officers by voice vote at the end of June, and Donnelly was expected to be promoted to Vice Admiral and assume command of the Seventh Fleet shortly.

US Navy Rear Admiral Michael Donnelly US Navy

But just at this moment, Austin rejected Donnelly's promotion and appointment. Neither the Department of Defense, the Navy, nor Austin or Donnelly himself provided detailed responses, but several media outlets including the US Naval Institute News and USA Today analyzed in their reports that this was related to Donnelly organizing his subordinates to perform in a drag show during his command of the USS Reagan from 2016 to 2018.

NBC News reported that the drag show on the USS Reagan was aimed at "boosting morale," and participants who won prizes could receive gift cards worth equivalent cash. Moreover, the drag performances on the USS Reagan were very frequent, with some soldiers even being required by their comrades to "perform every night." In a 2018 report, the photos were taken by the official media team of the US Navy and were used as positive examples for promotion.

Drag performance on the USS Reagan US Navy

Drag performance on the USS Reagan US Navy

Several U.S. media outlets stated that Donnelly had faced criticism from conservative groups at the time and eventually lost out on promotion and key positions years later. A conservative-leaning U.S. military blogger, William Thibodaux, commented: "He didn't wear women's clothes himself, but he allowed the navy to be grossly politicized. That's enough."

This article is an exclusive piece by The Observer, and it cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7526741399698457138/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author and is welcome to express your attitude by voting up or down below.