U.S. Navy to Rename USNS Harvey Milk, Honoring Pioneer of LGBTQ Rights
Scoop: Navy's Iconic Vessel Drops Harvey Milk's Name During Pride Month
The United States' Navy vessel, the USNS Harvey Milk, will no longer bear the title it once proudly wore. The authorities confirmed the Navy's decision to rename the ship, but sans any explanation as to why.
This shocking move was unveiled during the Pride Month celebrations, a time dedicated to honoring the remarkable accomplishments and contributions of the LGBTQ+ community. This decision comes as a kick in the teeth, given the fact that Harvey Milk was a significant figure in this community, as well as a valiant Navy veteran who gave his best for the nation.
Originally, Harvey Milk served as an operations officer aboard the USS Chanticleer and USS Kittiwake during the Korean War. After building his reputation as a relentless gay rights activist in San Francisco, he became one of the first open gay elected officials in the U.S., nabbing a position on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.
However, his life was tragically cut short in 1978 when he was fatally shot at City Hall. Dan White, a former city supervisor, was later convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to less than eight years in prison. This unjust sentence sparked mass protests which eventually turned violent.
Harvey Milk was memorialized in the 2008 film "Milk," where Sean Penn portrayed him, earning an Academy Award for his stellar performance.
Interestingly, the USNS Harvey Milk is part of a fleet class named after prominent civil rights figures. The group includes names like USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsberg, USNS Dolores Huerta, USNS Harriet Tubman, USNS Cesar Chavez, and the USNS Lucy Stone. They are collectively called the John Lewis-class, in honor of the Georgia congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis, who passed away in 2020.
In an unexpected twist this year, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a directive instructing the Pentagon and U.S. military services to drop the concept of cultural or awareness months. The directive, named "Identity Months Dead at DoD," cited Women's History Month, LGBTQ+ Pride Month, and Black History Month.
Apparently, Hegseth believes this move will foster unity among troops and support the sole focus on the military's primary mission. He also ordered the return of the North Carolina military base's name to Fort Bragg, reversing a 2023 rename to Fort Liberty, as the original Bragg was a Confederate general who owned slaves.
Critics, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, slammed Hegseth's decisions as being disrespectful to the very values that the country's veterans sacrifice their lives to uphold.
Check out the latest happenings with "So Gay for You," a shared memoir by 'The L Word' actresses Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig, and the sports scandal surrounding a Wake Forest coach's apparent homophobic slur. Stay tuned for more updates!
[1] ABC News: Navy to rename ship named after Harvey Milk[2] The Hill: Defense department ending cultural, awareness months[3] The Washington Post: Harvey Milk ship's name will be erased during Pride Month[4] CNN: Navy renaming ship named after slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk
- The controversial decision to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a ship named after a significant figure in the LGBTQ+ community and a Navy veteran, has stirred debate during Pride Month.
- The discontinuation of identity-, cultural-, and awareness-month recognitions, which includes Pride Month, by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been criticized for being disrespectful to the very values that veterans uphold, following the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk.
