The White House said on Monday it wasn’t behind a Defense Department decision to cancel drag events at US military bases. Late last week, DoD announced that drag events, which have been performed at US military installations for decades, wouldn’t continue because they aren’t a “suitable use” of military resources. The Pentagon said in a statement that “certain criteria must be met for persons or organizations acting in nonfederal capacity.” Biden administration press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Monday at a press conference that the White House supports LGBTQ+ members of the military. “The Biden-Harris administration will celebrate LGBTQI plus service members’ contributions with pride across federal agencies, including at the Department of Defense,” she said. The Pentagon decision has already led to the cancellation of at least one planned drag show, a family-friendly event at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada featuring performer Coco Montrese, a former contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race. The base has hosted drag events in 2021 and 2022, planned by the facility’s Pride committee. General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said on Monday on CNN canceling the events was the “absolute right thing to do” and said drag events “were never part of DOD policy to begin with and they’re certainly not funded by federal funds.” Capitol Hill Republicans questioned Mr Milley and other military leaders in March at a House Armed Services Committee hearing in March, and have since raised inquiries about potential funds going to such events. US military members have performed in drag at bases since at least World War I, including during the famed USO shows of WWII, according to the New York Times “Ensuring our ranks reflect the diversity of the American people is essential to morale and cohesion,” the Modern Military Association of America, a nonprofit representing LGBTQ+ servicemembers, told the paper. “It affects recruiting and retention of service members who do not feel welcome due to their sexual and gender identities.” Across the country, Republican-led legislatures have passed laws targeting drag shows, and drag events have been the subject of armed threats, part of a wider wave of GOP attacks on LGBTQ+ people. Read More David Furnish hits out at Ron DeSantis for ‘diabolically anti-Christian’ policies against LGBTQ+ people The Independent Pride List 2023: The LGBT+ people making change happen Tennessee drag ban is struck down by federal judge: ‘Unconstitutionally vague and substantially overbroad’

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Wrexham are to hold talks with Ben Foster over whether the former England goalkeeper wants to prolong his career with them in the English Football League. Foster was retired for nine months until he answered a Wrexham SOS in March after regular goalkeeper Rob Lainton was ruled out for the rest of the campaign through injury. The 40-year-old played the final eight games of the season, saving a stoppage-time penalty in the crunch 3-2 victory over title rivals Notts County, as Wrexham won the National League with a record points total of 111. “A discussion will take place with Ben Foster to establish if his intention is to return to retirement or continue playing,” Wrexham said in a statement announcing their end of season release/retained list. Foster said last month he could extend his career after Wrexham ended a 15-year absence from the EFL under the ownership of Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney. “You have to contemplate it because to be part of Wrexham is a special thing,” said Foster, who had a loan spell at the Welsh club in 2005 before going on to play for Manchester United, Watford, Birmingham and West Brom. “It’s nice to be a man of leisure and freedom and I really enjoyed my retirement. I had a great time for nine months. “But everybody who plays here can see that Wrexham is a really special club.” Wrexham have extended Paul Mullin’s contract by a further season following promotion. Mullin has scored 76 goals since joining from Cambridge in the summer of 2021, 47 of them coming last season. Mark Howard and Anthony Forde have also had one-season contract extensions and Liam McAlinden will be offered a new deal. Wrexham will exercise the option to keep Scott Butler and Aaron James. Harry Lennon is to retire from playing due to injury, while Reece Hall-Johnson, Jake Hyde and Rory Watson are among other players to be released. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Nat Sciver-Brunt says mental health break helped put her in a ‘good place’ Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler are out on their own, says Curtis Strange Martin Odegaard admits Arsenal must learn from crushing Brighton defeat

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