WASHINGTON, June 4 — Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the renaming of a US Navy vessel named after Harvey Milk, the slain San Francisco politician and prominent LGBTQ rights advocate, according to a report by Military.com on Tuesday.
WASHINGTON, June 4 — Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the renaming of a US Navy vessel named after Harvey Milk, the slain San Francisco politician and prominent LGBTQ rights advocate, according to a report by Military.com on Tuesday.
The website said it had reviewed an internal Navy memorandum confirming the directive, which aligns with Hegseth’s aim to “reestablish a warrior culture” within the US military.
An unnamed defence official cited by Military.com revealed that Navy Secretary John Phelan received orders to rename the USNS Harvey Milk. The announcement is expected during LGBTQ WorldPride Month, signaling what appears to be a calculated decision.
CBS News further reported that other vessels under consideration for renaming include ships named after former US Supreme Court justices Thurgood Marshall — the court’s first Black member — and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a revered liberal figure.
In response, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said no final decisions have been made, stating: “Any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete.”
“Secretary Hegseth is focused on ensuring that all Department of Defense assets reflect the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, the nation’s historical legacy, and the warrior ethos,” Parnell added.
The move has sparked swift backlash. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi condemned it as “a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream.”
“Harvey Milk served honorably as a Navy Lieutenant and was a powerful agent of progress — not only in California but across the nation,” said Pelosi. “This spiteful decision dishonors a core American value: recognizing those who strive to make our country better.”
Milk, once a Navy diver at a time when homosexuality was banned in the military, became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the US. As a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, he championed anti-discrimination legislation.
In 1978, just months after taking office, Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by a disgruntled former supervisor. Milk’s legacy as a civil rights pioneer was later recognized with a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom.
The USNS Harvey Milk, a 227-meter replenishment oiler, was officially christened in 2021 in a ceremony attended by then-Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro.
Since assuming office, President Donald Trump has implemented policies banning transgender individuals from serving and has rolled back diversity initiatives, arguing that such programs compromise military effectiveness and cohesion. — AFP
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