Hegseth Orders Navy to Review Ship Name Honoring Gay Icon Harvey Milk
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to review the names of vessels honoring prominent civil rights leaders, including Harvey Milk, who was one of the country's first openly gay elected officials and a Navy veteran.
News of Mr. Hegseth's decision, reported earlier by Military.com, comes just days into Pride Month, which celebrates the contributions of luminaries in the L.G.B.T.Q. community.
Instead, Mr. Hegseth's order was intended as a rebuke of Pride Month, keeping with the Trump administration's drive to expunge diversity, equity and inclusion efforts across the federal government, according to a senior defense official familiar with the decision.
Mr. Milk is one of several trailblazers whose name has been identified for possible removal from naval vessels. According to a senior official familiar with a memo from John Phelan, the secretary of the Navy, they include Thurgood Marshall, the first Black Supreme Court justice; Ruth Bader Ginsburg, another Supreme Court justice, who became a feminist icon; Harriet Tubman, who, after being born into slavery, became an abolitionist instrumental in the Underground Railroad; Lucy Stone, a prominent abolitionist and suffragist; Medgar Evers, a civil-rights leader who was assassinated by a member of the Ku Klux Klan; Cesar Chavez, a labor leader; and Dolores Huerta, another labor leader.
The names of the additional ships under review were previously reported by CBS News. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about unannounced policy decisions.
'Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the commander in chief's priorities, our nation's history, and the warrior ethos,' the Pentagon said in a statement issued on Tuesday.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
15 minutes ago
- Fox News
WATCH LIVE: President Trump meets with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at White House
All times eastern Making Money with Charles Payne FOX News Radio Live Channel Coverage WATCH LIVE: Will Cain reacts to political news of the day with Tim Pool
Washington Post
15 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Prince George's teachers union votes no confidence in superintendent
The Prince George's County teachers union issued a vote of no confidence Wednesday in schools Superintendent Millard House II, citing concerns that his leadership has caused 'widespread dysfunction' across Maryland's second-largest school system. About 80 percent of voting members supported the action, the union said, which was conducted via a virtual vote. The vote came as the union is bargaining over its latest contract with the school system. Its current agreement expires June 30.
Fast Company
15 minutes ago
- Fast Company
People are obsessed with the McDonald's Snack Wrap. These files prove it
After nine long years, McDonald's has finally announced the revival of the Snack Wrap, one of its most beloved—and most copied—discontinued menu items. To herald the wrap's return, the brand made an entire digital archive dedicated to documenting fans' fervor for the Snack Wrap. The wrap returns after a number of other fast food chains, including Burger King, Wendy's, Chic-fil-A, and, most recently, Popeyes, have made their own dupes of the item in its absence. McDonald's' attempt to reclaim its Snack Wrap dominance comes as the company continues to face difficult financial headwinds; reporting its second consecutive quarter of sales declines in its first-quarter financial report on May 1. Now, the company is betting on fans' Snack Wrap nostalgia to score a boost this summer. On McDonald's' official website, a cryptic official statement from Joe Erlinger, McDonald's USA president, simply reads, 'It's back.' Accompanying the statement, though, is the link to a website called the Snack Wrap Files that's a wealth of Snack Wrap-based information. Per the site, the Snack Wrap will be made with McDonald's' McCrispy Strips in two flavors: ranch or spicy. It will be available as a combo meal and, at last, it has secured a spot as a permanent menu item. The Snack Wrap Files also serves another purpose: The site, which has a simple, early web vibe, is an archive dedicated to all of the times that McDonald's fans have yearned for the Snack Wrap since 2016. It's back. According to its FAQ section, the Snack Wrap Files was created 'to highlight the bond fans have with the Snack Wrap.' 'The Snack Wrap was phased out nationally in 2016, but it never left fans' hearts,' the website reads. 'From countless social media posts to full-fledged petitions, they never gave up on their favorite menu item. They're the ones who inspired us to make its return to the menu happen.' And McDonald's is dedicated to spinning that return into a dramatic, full-blown campaign. Currently, there are 10 folders on the Snack Wrap Files site, three of which are unlocked for public viewing. A countdown at the top of the page marks the time remaining before the other seven files are unlocked. In the 'Media Materials' folder, users can find official photos of the new Snack Wrap and FAQs about its return. Under 'BTS,' they can take a peek behind the curtain at McDonald's' creative team poring over Snack Wrap ad materials. But 'The Fandom' folder is where the site really shines. Within this section, the McDonald's team has compiled a highlight reel of fans' most fervent pleas for the Snack Wrap's return. Some are on the tamer side, like an email that reads, 'Is it true you're bringing back the Snack Wrap??!! I will be so excited!!!!!!' and another sharing, 'In fact I am 13 weeks pregnant and my biggest craving is something I can't have. I am due July 14th, 2025. Will snack wraps be back before then? Please just give me a hint.' Others take a more desperate tone. 'Where is the snack wrap. You guys promised me 2025, it is 2025. I do not see the snack wrap. Please get back to me, this is an important matter,' reads one inquiry. 'When the snack wraps are dropped I'm going to do a challenge where I try and eat 1,000 in a calendar year,' another says. 'If I record myself and post it on tik tok or something will you give me a reward?' One emailer resorted to a direct threat: 'I hope you're not playing with our emotions because I swear to god the people of the US will riot if you pull the rug from underneath us!' Whew. In three days, 23 hours, and 40 minutes (at the time of this writing), the Snack Wrap Files' cryptic 'Reaction Clips,' 'Merch Concepts,' 'Internal Emails,' 'Promo Codes,' 'Playlist,' 'Voice Note,' and 'Credits' folders will be unlocked.
