Officials within President Donald Trump’s Pentagon have openly expressed strong disapproval of Netflix’s new military drama, “Boots,” a series that follows a closeted gay teen recruit. Kingsley Wilson, the Pentagon Press Secretary, issued a statement to Entertainment Weekly, condemning the series as “woke garbage.” Wilson articulated that under President Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth, the U.S. military is committed to restoring a “warrior ethos” with elite, uniform, and sex-neutral standards. He emphasized that military requirements are not influenced by an individual’s gender or sexual orientation, stating, “the weight of a rucksack or a human being doesn’t care if you’re a man, a woman, gay, or straight.” The statement further asserted that the Pentagon would not compromise its standards to satisfy an “ideological agenda,” unlike Netflix, which Wilson accused of consistently producing and distributing “woke garbage” to its audience.

“Boots” premiered on Netflix on October 9 and is an adaptation of Greg Cope White’s memoir, “The Pink Marine.” The series stars Miles Heizer of “13 Reasons Why” as Cameron Cope, who, on an impulse, enlists in the military alongside his best friend Ray McAffey, played by Liam Oh. The narrative is set in the 1990s, notably four years before President Bill Clinton’s controversial “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy was implemented. The show features several openly gay actors, including Angus O’Brien in the role of a frat-boy enlistee and Max Parker as a closeted drill sergeant.

Actor Miles Heizer commented on the unexpected contemporary relevance of the series in an interview with Variety. Heizer noted that when filming commenced in 2023, there was no initial intention for the show’s message to be so pertinent to current issues surrounding military service. However, as production unfolded, various related events began to occur, making “Boots” a timely reflection of present-day realities, despite its 1990s setting. Heizer described this as “upsetting” and highlighted the unique experience of working with a production team that was predominantly composed of queer individuals and women, which he considered a rare occurrence in the industry. Variety has reportedly reached out to Netflix for their response to the Pentagon’s official statement.