Stripping Diversity: Hegseth's Crusade to Rename Ships with Gay and Civil Rights Pioneers
Navy officially bars a gay politician's name from service
In a shocking move that's reverberating through the US, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is spearheading a campaign to rename naval vessels - a drastic turn for the US military. The latest in this series is the liquidation of the "Harvey Milk," a logistics support vessel, previously christened after the pioneering gay rights activist.
Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has initiated this shift, with the ship's new name set to be unveiled in June, according to CNN. However, the announcement of a replacement name is yet to be made.
Applauded as a trailblazer, Milk served in the armed forces during the Korean War but was compelled to leave owing to his sexual orientation. Launched in 2021, the ship was named in his honor during the US's Pride Month, which commemorates the Stonewall Riots of 1969 and celebrates the LGBTQI+ movement.
The ship is part of a class of naval vessels named after civil rights activists. Reports suggest that the Navy is also contemplating renaming other ships in this category, such as "Thurgood Marshall," "Ruth Bader Ginsburg," and "Harriet Tubman." Both Marshall and Ginsburg were Supreme Court justices, and Tubman was a black abolitionist and a freedom fighter. Even the suffragist Lucy Stone's ship seems to be on the list for a potential name change.
Renaming naval ships is usually a rarity, but this isn't the first time under Hegseth's tenure. In 2023, a ship saw its title change due to connections with the Confederate states' side in the Civil War.
Since his tenure began, Hegseth has been diligently working to transform the Pentagon and the military. His mission is to re-establish a "warrior culture," which targets all diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. In line with these objectives, several high-ranking military officials have been replaced, and military bases are expected to revert to their old, contentious names, honoring Confederate generals.
All eyes are now on Hegseth as he continues to shape the US military in his image, potentially altering the course of the nation's history.
- Pete Hegseth
- US Military
- LGBTIQ
- Equality
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The Commission, in the midst of politics and general news, has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers within the US Military from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, given the ongoing war-and-conflicts-related deletion of ships with names honoring LGBTIQ pioneers and civil rights activists, such as Harvey Milk, Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Harriet Tubman, and potentially even Lucy Stone.
In the face of this drastic transformation spearheaded by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is aiming to re-establish a "warrior culture" that targets diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, the pursuit of equality and the protection of workers from harmful radiation exposure become increasingly pertinent issues.
