The US Navy has announced that the USNS Harvey Milk, a fleet replenishment oiler named after the renowned gay rights activist and Navy veteran, will be renamed, although no reasons were provided for this decision. The announcement coincides with Pride Month, a time for celebrating LGBTQ contributions and achievements.
Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S., was a prominent activist in San Francisco, serving on the Board of Supervisors from 1977 until his assassination in 1978 alongside Mayor George Moscone at City Hall. His killer, former city supervisor Dan White, served a light sentence, igniting public outrage and protests. Milk’s life was dramatized in the 2008 film “Milk,” featuring Sean Penn, who won an Academy Award for his portrayal.
The USNS Harvey Milk was introduced in 2021 as part of a class of vessels named after civil rights figures, including the USNS Thurgood Marshall and USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, under the John Lewis class, named after the late congressman. Milk himself served in the Navy from 1951 to 1955 during the Korean War.
In January, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed the military to move away from acknowledging cultural or awareness months, stating this could undermine unity and mission execution. His directive emphasized a need to avoid prioritizing any single group. Earlier this year, Hegseth also reinstated the name of a North Carolina military base back to Fort Bragg, which had been renamed Fort Liberty, restoring tribute to a World War II veteran, Pfc. Roland L. Bragg.
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