US Navy to rename ship honouring LGBTQ+ rights icon Harvey Milk
The move, first reported by Military.com, has drawn strong condemnation from civil rights leaders and lawmakers. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called it a 'shameful, vindictive erasure' of a man who gave his life in service to equality. 'This spiteful move does not strengthen our national security or the 'warrior ethos,'' Pelosi said. 'It is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country.'Harvey Milk, a Navy veteran who served in the 1950s before being discharged due to his sexuality, went on to become one of America's first openly gay elected officials. As a San Francisco Supervisor, he authored and passed a landmark law banning discrimination based on sexual orientation before being assassinated in 1978.advertisementThe USNS Harvey Milk was christened in 2021 as part of a John Lewis class of oilers named after civil rights figures. Former Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said the naming was about 'amending the wrongs of the past' and honoring LGBTQ service members.While rare, renaming naval ships is not unprecedented. The Biden administration rebranded two vessels in 2023 to remove Confederate-era names. However, in maritime tradition, changing a ship's name is often considered a bad omen—'tempting the sea gods,' as lore goes.The Milk ship, with a civilian crew 125, began active service in late 2024 and is currently undergoing maintenance in Alabama. Despite its short operational history, its namesake's legacy has stirred deep symbolic meaning — a legacy now abruptly cast overboard by the current administration.(With inputs from Associated Press)
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