Cliff Notes – US Navy to rename ship named after gay activist Harvey Milk
- US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly ordered the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk, a ship named after the prominent gay rights activist, as part of a broader initiative to “reestablish a warrior culture” in the armed forces.
- The decision follows a memo indicating plans to rename not only the Harvey Milk vessel but potentially other ships named after historical figures associated with diversity, including Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
- Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned the renaming as a “shameful, vindictive erasure,” highlighting Milk’s significant contributions to civil rights and his legacy as a trailblazer for the gay community.
US Navy to rename ship named after gay activist Harvey Milk
United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the renaming of a US Navy ship named after trailblazing gay rights activist Harvey Milk, according to reports on Tuesday.
The USNS Harvey Milk was named after the assassinated former San Francisco politician and christened in 2021, as part of the John Lewis class of tankers.
The Associated Press and Reuters, citing an anonymous source, said the order came from Hegesth’s office.
Defence news website Military.com said it had reviewed a memo from the Office of the Secretary of the Navy that said the move was in line with Hegseth’s purported goal of “reestablishing a warrior culture” in the US armed forces.
CBS News said the navy is considering re-titling several other ships including two named after former US Supreme Court justices; Thurgood Marshall, the first Black member of the top court, and liberal icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
There was no immediate response from the Pentagon or the US Navy to various inquiries about the reports.
Trump administration seeking to end diversity programs
Since taking office, President Donald Trump has moved to ban transgender troops from the military and to dismantle diversity programs, claiming they “undermine leadership, merit, and unit cohesion, thereby eroding lethality and force readiness.”
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has eliminated diversity initiatives at the Pentagon and ended observances of identity celebrations such as Black History Month.
In February, Hegseth chided past celebrations of the US military’s diversity in a broad address to Pentagon staff, saying: “I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is ‘our diversity is our strength.”
Pelosi slams reported renaming
Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, condemned the reported move to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, calling it “a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream.”
“Harvey Milk proudly served as a Lieutenant in the United States Navy and was a formidable force for change, not just in California, but in our country,” the California congresswoman said in a statement.
“This spiteful move… is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country.”
Who was Harvey Milk?
Who was Harvey Milk?
Harvey Milk served as a US Navy diver at a time when there was a ban on homosexuality in the military and was one of the first openly gay politicians in America.
Milk was elected to San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, where he was instrumental in passing laws banning discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. Harvey Milk was a leading voice for gay rights in his role as San Francisco supervisorImage: AP Photo/picture alliance
Months later, in 1978, Milk was shot dead along with mayor George Moscone, by a disgruntled former city supervisor.
Milk’s murder helped cement his reputation as a civil rights icon, and he was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Sources
Hegseth Orders Navy to Strip Name of Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk from Ship – Military.com
Hegseth orders US navy to strip Harvey Milk name from ship amid Pride month – The Guardian
Hegseth orders Navy to rename ship honoring gay rights activist Harvey Milk – ABC News