Navy will rename the USNS Harvey Milk, named for LGBTQ rights pioneerMilk, who served in the Navy during the Korean War, became one of the country's first openly gay elected officials, winning a position on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.
Link to Full ArticleNBC News - Curtis Bunn, Mosheh Gains and Courtney Kube
June 3, 2025, 2:59 PM MDT / Updated June 3, 2025, 8:41 PM MDT
A Navy vessel named after celebrated gay rights activist and Navy veteran Harvey Milk will no longer carry his name.
NBC News confirmed with the Navy that the USNS Harvey Milk, a fleet replenishment oiler, will be renamed. No reason was given.
The news comes during Pride Month, the dedicated time to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and contributions of the LGBTQ community.
After years of devoted activism in San Francisco and across California, Milk became one of the country's first openly gay elected officials, winning a position on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.
In 1978, he and Mayor George Moscone were fatally shot at City Hall. His killer, Dan White, a former city supervisor, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to less than eight years in prison in 1979, sparking a mass protest that turned violent.
In a statement, Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif. characterized the renaming as an attempt to "undermine" LGBTQ+ contributions.
"Harvey Milk's legacy will not be erased by Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth's petty culture wars and attempts to undermine the tremendous contributions and service of the LGBTQ+ community to our country," Padilla said in a statement.-----------------------------
Newsweek also reports that:
The documents also show that other Navy vessels named after prominent American figures are on a "recommended list" to be renamed. These include USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, USNS Harriet Tubman, USNS Dolores Huerta, USNS Lucy Stone, USNS Cesar Chavez and USNS Medgar Evers.https://www.newsweek.com/pete-hegseth-renaming-harvey-milk-navy-ship-sparks-fury-veterans-group-2080673------------------------------
So sad that our country is run by bigotry.
