Gay-Themed Forum Is Canceled in Malaysia
A planned forum on L.G.B.T.Q.-related themes in Malaysia was indefinitely postponed after online attacks by the public and harsh criticism by a government official. It's the latest instance of how the government of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has taken a harder line in an effort to shore up support among the country's Muslim majority.
Malaysia's Parliament now includes the conservative Islamist party, Parti Islam SeMalaysia, which is the largest party in the lower house. Its growing influence has increased pressure on the government to adopt more conservative positions, with the party accusing Mr. Anwar's administration of failing to safeguard Islamic values.
In the past, Mr. Anwar has expressed a degree of tolerance toward the L.G.B.T.Q. community.
'Muslims and non-Muslims alike, there is a consensus — they do not accept this,' he said in a 2023 interview with CNN, referring to public displays of affection by gay people. 'But do we then go and harass them? That is a different subject. I do not approve of any attempt to harass.'
The workshop, titled 'Pride Care: Queer Stories & Sexual Health Awareness' and organized by the youth wing of a small opposition party, was to take place next month. Efforts to publicize the event on social media quickly went viral, prompting hateful comments and death threats by the public. Many posts tagged the Royal Malaysian Police, urging them to investigate the event.
On Wednesday, Mohd Na'im Mokhtar, the government's religious affairs minister, described the planned gathering as a promotion of 'deviant culture.'
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CBS News
21 minutes ago
- CBS News
Navy set to rename USNS Harvey Milk, mulls new names for other ships named for civil rights leaders
Washington — The U.S. Navy plans to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a fleet replenishment oiler named after the slain gay rights leader and Navy veteran, and is considering renaming multiple naval ships named after civil rights leaders and prominent American voices, CBS News has learned. Norfolk Va., (Sept. 24, 2024) — Civil Service Mariners (CIVMARS) aboard Military Sealift Command's (MSC) fleet replenishment oiler USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206) completed their first replenishment-at-sea (RAS) with two Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) vessels. LaShawn Sykes U.S. Navy documents obtained by CBS News and used to brief the secretary of the Navy and his chief of staff show proposed timelines for rolling out the name change of the USNS Harvey Milk to the public. While the documents do not say what the ship's new name would be, the proposal comes during Pride Month, the monthlong observance of the LGBTQ+ community that also coincides with the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising of 1969. WorldPride celebrations are being held in Washington, D.C., this year. The documents obtained by CBS News also show other vessels named after prominent leaders are also on the Navy's renaming "recommended list." Among them are the USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, USNS Harriet Tubman, USNS Dolores Huerta, USNS Lucy Stone, USNS Cesar Chavez and USNS Medgar Evers. CBS News found that a December 2024 web article from Naval Sea Systems Command about the laying of the keel for the future USNS Thurgood Marshall has been deleted. File: Alissa Kamens Marshall, USNS Thurgood Marshall ship sponsor participates in the time-honored tradition of the keel laying/certification by welding her initials into the keel plate of the new ship. Sarah Cannon "The reported decision by the Trump Administration to change the names of the USNS Harvey Milk and other ships in the John Lewis-class is a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream," Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi told CBS News in a statement. She added, "Our military is the most powerful in the world – but this spiteful move does not strengthen our national security or the 'warrior' ethos. Instead, it is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country." House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries told CBS News the move was "an utter abomination in terms of the extreme MAGA Republican effort to continue to erase American history, and we're not going to allow it to happen." And Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on X that Hegseth "should be ashamed of himself and reverse this immediately." Following his confirmation in January, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth issued a directive instructing the Pentagon and U.S. military services to cease hosting events tied to heritage or awareness months, citing concerns that such programs could undermine unity within the ranks. The "Identity Months Dead at DoD" guidance banned official manpower and resources from being used on such events — among them, Pride Month, Black History Month and Women's History Month. The documents obtained by CBS News were not marked with the traditional classification markers typically seen on Defense Department memos. The documents were not marked as "For Official Use Only" or "Controlled Unclassified Information," they were also not marked to indicate they were drafts. There was a "CAUTION" note, however, referring to the information as publicly sensitive. The memo said the renaming of naval ships was to realign the U.S. military with Trump administration priorities of "reestablishing the warrior culture." The documents call for Navy Secretary John Phelan to select a new name for the USNS Harvey Milk on Tuesday, with the notice of the name change going out to other senior U.S. Navy officials later in the week after undergoing legal review. Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that 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." Parnell added that any potential renaming decisions would be announced once the internal reviews are complete. first reported the name change for the USNS Harvey Milk on Tuesday, but the news of other naval vessels being considered for a name change has not yet been reported. The USNS Harvey Milk is a John Lewis-class replenishment oiler, designed to support carrier strike groups at sea. The class of ships is named after civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis, who died in 2020. Harvey Milk, the political trailblazer, emerged in the 1970s as one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States. After years of activism, he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, where he quickly became a national symbol of LGBTQ+ political empowerment. His life was cut short in 1978 when he was assassinated in City Hall, alongside Mayor George Moscone. The USNS Harvey Milk was christened in 2021 and represented a significant step toward inclusivity within the armed forces. Before he emerged as one of the most visible advocates for gay rights in American history, Milk served in the U.S. Navy. From 1952 to 1954, he held posts as an operations and dive officer aboard two submarine rescue ships — the USS Chanticleer and the USS Kittiwake — both active during the Korean War, according to the U.S. National Archives. But his sexual orientation carried profound consequences as Milk came under scrutiny. In December 1954, Milk, who was then a lieutenant junior grade, was facing a court martial for participating in a "homosexual act" a year earlier. Instead of facing trial, Milk was drummed out of the U.S. military, like so many other gay service members of his era. In January 1954, he resigned his commission and accepted an "Other Than Honorable" discharge. In 2021, the Navy approached Milk's nephew, Stuart Milk, to see if he wanted his uncle's discharge upgraded, according to NPR. Stuart decided against it as a reminder that not everyone was treated with honor. The name change would follow two base renamings Hegseth directed earlier this year to reverse the work a congressionally mandated naming commission did to remove names honoring the Confederacy. In February, he directed Fort Liberty in North Carolina return to Fort Bragg, saying it would now be named after a non-Confederate Bragg, and then directed Fort Moore change to Fort Benning, after another Benning. The naming commission also suggested the Navy rename the guided missile cruiser USS Chancellorsville, which honors a Confederate battle victory, to the USS Robert Smalls, to recognize a slave who stole a Confederate ship and surrendered it to the Union. The Navy also renamed the USNS Maury to the USNS Marie Tharp, removing the name of a Confederate sailor and replacing it with the name of a pioneering female oceanographer. Although the Navy has renamed ships for various reasons, name changes are still an exceptionally rare occurrence, especially after the ships have entered service.
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Navy ordered to rename USNS Harvey Milk in deliberate Pride Month move
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the U.S. Navy to rename a ship honoring late LGBTQ rights hero Harvey Milk — in a move intentionally set to coincide with Pride Month. According to a memo from the Office of the Secretary of the Navy reviewed by officials have already drawn up a plan for the USNS Harvey Milk to be renamed. The ship is a John Lewis-class oiler, part of a series of vessels named after civil rights leaders and activists. While its new name has yet to be announced, Navy Secretary John Phelan and former Fox News host Pete Hegseth are expected to unveil the change on June 13, according to the memo. An unnamed defense official confirmed to the decision to make the announcement in June was deliberate. The move was slammed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as a 'shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream.' Milk, who was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, made history as California's first openly gay elected official. He was assassinated inside San Francisco City Hall on Nov. 27, 1978 — just months after helping pass a landmark city ordinance banning discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation. Before his short-lived career in public office, the trailblazing LGBTQ+ rights leader also served as a diving officer in the Navy, but resigned with the rank of lieutenant junior grade in 1955 after being questioned about his sexual orientation. In late 2016, the Navy announced it would name a ship after the slain LGBTQ icon. Construction began in late 2019 and, two years later, Navy Veteran Paula Neira christened the Navy's USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206) in a ceremony in San Diego Bay attended by state and local leaders. 'Harvey fought for the dignity and worth of every person,' Pelosi, who represents California's 11th congressional district, which includes most of San Francisco, said in a statement Tuesday. 'In San Francisco, we take great pride that our Harvey's name adorns a mighty ship among a new class of Navy vessels — named for the conscience of the Congress, John Lewis — which honors titans in the fight for freedom,' Pelosi said. 'As the rest of us are celebrating the joy of Pride Month, it is my hope that the Navy will reconsider this egregious decision and continue to recognize the extraordinary contributions of Harvey Milk, a veteran himself, and all Americans who forged historic progress for our nation,' she concluded. _____
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Hegseth orders renaming of ship named for gay rights icon Harvey Milk
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename the replenishment oiler Harvey Milk, a highly rare move that will strip the ship of the moniker of a slain gay rights activist who served as a sailor during the Korean War. U.S. officials say Navy Secretary John Phelan put together a small team to rename the replenishment oiler and that a new name is expected this month. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the next name had not yet been chosen. The change was laid out in an internal memo that officials said defended the action as a move to align with President Donald Trump and Hegseth's objectives to 're-establish the warrior culture.' Navy launches ship named for gay rights leader Harvey Milk It marks the latest move by Hegseth and the wider Trump administration to purge all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion. And it comes during Pride Month — the same timing as the Pentagon's campaign to force transgender troops out of the U.S. military. '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,' Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on the renaming. 'Any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete.' The decision was first reported by Phelan's office did not respond to a request for comment. The oiler Harvey Milk was named in 2016 by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who said at the time that the John Lewis-class of oilers would be named after leaders who fought for civil and human rights. Milk, who was portrayed by Sean Penn in an Oscar-winning 2008 movie, served for four years in the Navy before he was forced out for being gay. He later became one of the first openly gay candidates elected to public office. Milk served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and had sponsored a bill banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations, housing and employment. It passed, and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone signed it into law. On Nov. 27, 1978, Milk and Moscone were assassinated by Dan White, a disgruntled former city supervisor who cast the sole vote against Milk's bill. The ship was christened in 2021, and during the ceremony, then-Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said he wanted to be at the event 'not just to amend the wrongs of the past, but to give inspiration to all of our LGBTQ community leaders who served in the Navy, in uniform today and in the civilian workforce as well, too, and to tell them that we're committed to them in the future.' The ship is operated by Military Sealift Command with a crew of about 125 civilian mariners. The Navy says it conducted its first resupply mission at sea in fall 2024 while operating in the Virginia Capes. It continued to resupply Navy ships at sea off the East Coast until it began scheduled maintenance at Alabama Shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, earlier this year. While the renaming is rare, the Biden administration also changed the names of two Navy ships in 2023 as part of the effort to remove Confederate names from U.S. military installations. The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser Chancellorsville — named for the Civil War battle — was renamed the Robert Smalls after a sailor and former enslaved person. And the Maury, an oceanographic survey ship originally named after a Confederate sailor, was renamed the Marie Tharp after a geologist and oceanographic cartographer who created the first scientific maps of the Atlantic Ocean floor. Maritime lore hints as to why renaming ships is so unusual, suggesting that changing a name is bad luck and tempts retribution from the sea gods. Military Times editor Beth Sullivan contributed to this report.
