Air Force celebrates ‘Pride Month’ amid recruiting crisis

As Joe Biden’s reckless foreign policy puts the world on the edge of catastrophe with conflicts already raging in Ukraine and the Middle East, the Air Force is directing its focus toward the biggest issue implicating U.S. national security: LGBT “pride.”

In an under-the-radar maneuver, Marianne Malizia, the Air Force’s chief diversity officer, issued a memo Monday informing service members that the Department of the Air Force recognizes June as “LGBTQ+ Pride Month 2024.” In doing so, she claimed the month represents “a time to celebrate the diversity and inclusivity of our force, and to honor the contributions of our LGBTQ+ Airmen, Guardians, and dependents.”

“Our Air and Space Forces are stronger because of the unique backgrounds and experiences of our Total Force that engender a more inclusive, and ultimately more effective, team,” Malizia wrote.

An Air Force representative confirmed the authenticity of the memo to The Federalist. A copy of the document was initially posted on X by former Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier, who was relieved of command in 2021 after publicly discussing the increasing pervasiveness of leftism in the military.

The Air Force memo’s contents are hardly just celebratory, however. In fact, the communique advances core tenets of neo-Marxist ideology, such as so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).” Employing an “oppressed versus oppressor” dynamic, Malizia contended: “While we acknowledge the progress we have made, we are also mindful that real challenges persist for members of the LGBTQ+ community.”

“Pride month is an opportunity to acknowledge the pioneers and activists who fought tirelessly for equality and justice, paving the way for a more equitable military and American society,” the chief diversity officer wrote. “During Pride Month, let us elevate the authentic voices and inspirational stories of the DAF’s LGBTQ+ community, while recognizing those who continue to face discrimination and marginalization for simply being who they are.”

Malizia concluded her diatribe by notifying military base commanders they are authorized to “organize and execute appropriate activities to commemorate Pride Month.”

The Air Force received much-deserved scrutiny from GOP lawmakers last year for hosting LGBT-related events on its bases in commemoration of “pride” month. In one instance, Republican pressure prompted Pentagon leadership to cancel an all-ages drag show at Nevada’s Nellis Air Force Base. The incident came months after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin claimed under oath that “drag shows … are not something that the Department of Defense supports or funds.”

In addition to allowing “pride” events on its installations, the Air Force has also previously authorized the use of U.S. taxpayer dollars to transport airmen to such “festivities.” Last June, Malizia issued a memo permitting branch commanders to utilize “unit funds” to pay for service members under their command to “travel to, and participate in … DAF Pride events if approved by their individual supervisory authority.”

Malizia’s latest guidance comes amid the military’s ongoing recruiting crisis. In September, the Air Force announced it missed its FY2023 recruiting targets by roughly 2,700 airmen, while the Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard each experienced a 30 percent shortfall in new recruits, according to the Military Times. The Navy and Army also missed their respective FY2023 recruiting goals.

Thomas Spoehr, a senior adviser for the Center for Strategic and International Studies, previously described the recruiting crisis as “the worst since the institution of the all-volunteer force in 1973.”

So-called “journalists” and industry “experts” have regularly dismissed the notion that the military’s embrace of DEI racism and radical gender ideology is contributing to its recruiting crisis. Instead, these individuals have downplayed Republican concerns about the pervasiveness of neo-Marxist thought throughout the service and blamed the crisis on factors that predated the embrace of DEI policies, such as obesity rates and fluctuating labor markets.

Shawn Fleetwood is a staff writer for The Federalist and a graduate of the University of Mary Washington. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClearHealth, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood