The USNS Harvey Milk, a Navy vessel named after Harvey Milk, a renowned gay rights activist and Navy veteran, will be renamed, as confirmed by the Navy. No specific reasons were provided for this decision, which emerges during Pride Month—an annual observance honoring LGBTQ achievements and contributions.
Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S., gained prominence after winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977. Tragically, he was assassinated in 1978, alongside Mayor George Moscone. His killer, Dan White, received a reduced sentence of less than eight years for manslaughter, igniting widespread protests against perceived injustices in the legal system. Milk’s legacy has been further popularized by the 2008 film “Milk,” in which Sean Penn portrayed him and won an Academy Award.
The USNS Harvey Milk is part of the John Lewis class of ships, designed to support fleet operations, and honors various civil rights figures, including Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Milk served in the Navy from 1951 to 1955 during the Korean War.
Recently, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a directive to eliminate cultural awareness months within the Department of Defense. He argued that focusing on group identities undermines unity and mission success. This directive follows a broader trend in military renaming practices, such as reverting Fort Liberty back to Fort Bragg, named after a Confederate general, now renamed to honor a World War II veteran.
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