US Navy to rename USNS Harvey Milk, named after gay rights leader

BBC News

2 days ago

The US Navy plans to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a fleet oiler named after the slain gay rights leader and Navy veteran, and is mulling renaming other ships named after civil rights leaders.The changes were outlined in documents obtained by BBC's US partner CBS News that show a proposed timeline for when the change would be shared with the public.It comes during Pride Month in June, an annual commemoration of the LGBTQ community that coincides with the anniversary of the Stonewall uprising in 1969.The directive also comes amid a broader movement by the Trump administration to curb programmes that promote diversity and inclusion across federal departments.
Sean Parnell, a spokesperson for the Pentagon, told CBS on Tuesday that the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk is to realign the US military with the Trump administration's goal of "re-establishing the warrior culture" in the Armed Forces.The memo calls for Navy Secretary John Phelan to select a new name for the fleet oiler. That name change would then be communicated to other senior US Navy officials after a legal review.It also outlines other vessels recommended for renaming, including the USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, named after the late liberal Supreme Court judge, and the USNS Harriet Tubman, named after the American slavery abolitionist and social rights activist.Harvey Milk is known for being the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He was assassinated 10 months after he was sworn in.The push to rename the USNS Harvey Milk comes after a directive issued by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year instructing US military personnel to stop hosting events tied to heritage or awareness months. This directive banned resources and manpower from being used on events like Pride Month, Black History Month and Women's History Month, citing concerns that they would undermine unity in the military.US President Donald Trump also issued executive orders earlier this year that banned diversity, equity and inclusion in the government, and that made it official US policy to recognise two sexes, male and female - a move that has been criticised by LGBTQ rights activists for targeting non-binary and transgender Americans.The move to rename the Harvey Milk and other ships has been criticised by prominent Democrats, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. In a statement to CBS, Pelosi called the move a "vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American dream".Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X on Tuesday that Hegseth "should be ashamed of himself and reverse this immediately."