Latest news with #USSChancellorsville
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
A Naval Ship Honoring Harvey Milk Is Getting a Name Change. Several Others Could Be Next
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." 1930–1978 The USNS Harvey Milk tanker ship is on the verge of receiving a new name, sparking intense reactions from some political figures. According to a report, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename the ship, which has honored the late gay rights activist and his military service since its launch in November 2021. A memorandum obtained by CBS showed that vessels named after other noteworthy figures—including Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Harriet Tubman, and Dolores Huerta—have also been requested for review. The act of renaming a Navy ship is very rare and considered partially taboo. The most recent occurrence was in 2023, when the USS Chancellorsville and research ship USNS Maury received new monikers. Both names were tied to the Confederacy. The timing of the proposed change is notable, as June is Pride Month in the United States. The honorary month dates back to 1970 when the initial LGBTQ Pride marches took place on the first anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. Democratic lawmakers criticized the decision to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, with House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling it '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.' Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer reacted in a post to X, formerly Twitter, saying Hegseth should immediately reverse the decision. Gay rights activist and community leader Harvey Milk made history in January 1978 when he became one of the first openly gay public officials in the United States. He served on San Francisco's Board of Supervisors. Prior to his political career, the native New Yorker had served in the U.S. Navy and worked in a variety of industries before settling in San Francisco and opening a camera shop. His life and his political career came to an untimely end when he was fatally shot in November 1978 at age 48. Numerous books and movies have been made about the politician, including the Oscar-winning 2008 biopic Milk starring Sean Penn.$10.30 at FULL NAME: Harvey Bernard MilkBORN: May 22, 1930DIED: November 27, 1978BIRTHPLACE: Woodmere, New YorkASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Gemini Harvey Bernard Milk was born on May 22, 1930, in Woodmere, New York. Reared in a small middle-class Jewish family, Milk was one of two boys born to William and Minerva Milk. A well-rounded, well-liked student, Harvey played football and sang in the opera at Bay Shore High School. Like his brother, Robert, he also worked at the family department store, Milk's. After graduating from the New York State College for Teachers in 1951, Milk joined the U.S. Navy, ultimately serving as a diving instructor at a base in San Diego during the Korean War. Following his discharge in 1955, Milk moved to New York City, where he worked a variety of jobs, including public school teacher, production associate for several high-profile Broadway musicals, stock analyst, and Wall Street investment banker. He soon tired of finance, though, and befriended gay radicals who frequented Greenwich Village. In late 1972, bored with his life in New York, Milk moved to San Francisco. In California, he opened a camera shop called Castro Camera on Castro Street, putting his life and work right in the heart of the city's gay community. For much of his life, Milk had stayed quiet about his personal life. He had known since high school that he was gay, and even in the wake of an emerging gay rights movement, the deliberate and careful Milk chose to remain on the sidelines. But things had started to turn for him toward the end of his time in New York, as he befriended a number of openly gay people who frequented Greenwich Village. In San Francisco, his life and outspoken politics evolved even further. As Castro Camera increasingly became a neighborhood center, Milk found his voice as a leader and activist. In 1973, he declared his candidacy for a position on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to help lead the city and the county. A novice politician with little money, Milk lost the election, but the experience didn't deter him from trying again. Two years later, he narrowly lost a second election for the same seat. By then, Milk had become a political force—an outspoken leader in the gay community with political connections that included San Francisco Mayor George Moscone, Assembly speaker and future city mayor Willie Brown, and future U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. In 1977, Milk, who was known affectionately as the 'Mayor of Castro Street,' finally won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He was inaugurated on January 9, 1978, becoming the city's first openly gay officer, as well as one of the first openly gay individuals to be elected to office in the United States. While his campaign certainly incorporated gay rights into his platform, Milk also wanted to tackle a wide variety of issues, such as childcare, housing, and a civilian police review board. Milk's ascension had come at an important time for the gay community. While many psychiatrists still considered homosexuality a mental illness at this time, the liberal San Francisco Mayor George Moscone had become an early supporter of gay rights and had abolished the city's anti-sodomy law. Moscone had also appointed several gay people and lesbians to a number of high-profile positions within San Francisco. On the other side of Moscone was Supervisor Dan White, a Vietnam veteran and former police officer and fireman, who was troubled by what he perceived as a breakdown in traditional values and a growing tolerance of homosexuality. Also elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, he frequently clashed with the more liberal Milk on policy issues.$12.00 at A year after his election, in 1978, White resigned from the board, citing that his salary of $9,600 wasn't enough to support his family. But White was prodded on by his police supporters and subsequently changed his mind regarding his resignation and asked Moscone to reappoint him. The mayor refused, however, encouraged by Milk and others to fill White's spot with a more liberal board member. For White, who was convinced that men like Moscone and Milk were driving his city 'downhill,' it was a devastating blow. On November 27, 1978, White entered City Hall with a loaded.38 revolver. He avoided the metal detectors by entering through a basement window that had been negligently left open for ventilation. His first stop was at the mayor's office, where he and Moscone began arguing before eventually moving to a private room so that they couldn't be heard. Once there, Moscone again refused to reappoint White, and White shot the mayor twice in the chest and twice in the head. White then went down the corridor and shot Milk, twice in the chest, once in the back, and twice in the head. Soon after, he turned himself in at the police station where he used to work. Milk died at age 48. White's trial was marked by what came to be known as the 'Twinkie defense,' as his lawyers claimed that the normally stable White had grown slovenly prior to the shootings due to abandoning his usually healthy diet and instead indulging in sugary junk food such as Coke, doughnuts, and Twinkies. In a surprising move, a jury convicted White of voluntary manslaughter rather than murder. In the wake of White's downgraded conviction, peaceful demonstrations by Castro's gay community outside City Hall turned violent. More than 5,000 policemen responded by entering nightclubs armed with truncheons and assaulting patrons. By the riot's end, 124 people were injured, including 59 policemen. This episode is known in history as 'The White Night Riots.' White subsequently served just six years in prison. In 1985, a year after his release, a distressed White died by suicide. Editor's Note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or self-harming behaviors, call or text 988 to get help from the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. In the years since the killings, Milk's legacy as a leader and pioneer has endured, with numerous books and movies made about his life. In 1984, Milk was the subject of the Oscar-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk. Nearly three decades after its release, the project was added to the U.S. Library of Congress for preservation in 2012. In 2008, actor Sean Penn starred as Milk in the acclaimed biopic Milk. The movie primarily focuses on Milk's life and political aspirations throughout the 1970s. Penn's performance drew widespread acclaim, and he won the 2009 Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of the slain politician. The film was also awarded the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. In July 2016, the U.S. Navy announced it would name a yet-to-be constructed tanker after Milk, calling it the USNS Harvey Milk. Milk's nephew praised the decision, saying it would send 'a green light to all the brave men and women who serve our nation: that honesty and authenticity are held up among the highest ideals of of nation's military.' San Francisco politician Scott Wiener also celebrated the announcement. 'When Harvey Milk served in the military, he couldn't tell anyone who he truly was,' he wrote in a statement. 'Now our country is telling the men and women who serve, and the entire world, that we honor and support people for who they are.' However, some critics argue that Milk wouldn't have wanted such an honor, citing his opposition to the Vietnam War. The ship, a replenishment oiler that refuels aircraft carriers at sea, launched from San Diego in November 2021. Four years later, in June 2025, the tanker was back in the headlines when reported U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered the Navy to rename the ship, stripping Milk's name. According to the report, a memorandum showed the change was requested to show 'alignment with president and [secretary of defense] objectives and [secretary of the navy] priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture.' A new name for the ship has yet to be announced. Additionally, a terminal at the San Francisco International Airport is named after Milk following a five-year renovation project. Completed in 2024, the space now includes multiple departure gates, exhibits, and a museum gallery dedicated to Milk. All men are created equal. No matter how hard you try, you can never erase those words. Hope will never be silent. I know that you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn't look right, contact us! You Might Also Like Nicole Richie's Surprising Adoption Story The Story of Gypsy Rose Blanchard and Her Mother Queen Camilla's Life in Photos
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hegseth orders renaming of ship named after gay rights icon Harvey Milk
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered the secretary of the Navy to rename the oiler ship USNS Harvey Milk, according to a defense official. The ship, which was launched in 2021 and named after the gay rights activist and Navy veteran, who was made to resign from the force because of his sexual orientation, is set to be officially renamed later this month, the official said. It is not clear what the new name will be, but the timing is notable given that June is Pride Month. first reported the expected name change. The Office of the Secretary of Defense did not respond to a request for comment. It is rare for a ship to be renamed, and it has not happened on the orders of a defense secretary in recent memory. The last time a ship was renamed in 2023, the move was based upon the recommendation of a congressional commission established to review names across the military with ties to the Confederacy. As a result of the study, the Navy decided to rename the cruiser USS Chancellorsville and research ship USNS Maury. The USNS Harvey Milk is part of the John Lewis class of oiler ships that are named after civil rights leaders. Other ships in this class include the USNS Earl Warren, USNS Robert F. Kennedy, USNS Lucy Stone and USNS Sojourner Truth. The move is in line with Hegseth's focus on reestablishing a 'warrior culture' across the military, which he has mainly tried to do by eliminating diversity, equity and inclusion programs and content throughout the Defense Department and finding creative ways to revert military bases back to their original, Confederate-linked names. In a statement, former House speaker Nancy Pelosi of California said that '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. 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.' At the time the ship was launched, the Biden administration had a very different stance on diversity. 'He made a difference. That's the kind of naval leader that we need,' then-Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said of Milk during the christening ceremony in November 2021. The ship was co-sponsored by then-Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat who was the president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors when Milk served on the board. She publicly announced Milk's assassination in 1978 at the age of 48. Milk was one of the first out gay politicians elected to office in the United States, and the first out gay official elected in California. Milk served in the Navy as a diving officer during the Korean War, at a time when gay service members were not allowed to openly acknowledge their sexuality. During his time as a diving instructor in San Diego in the 1950s, his supervisors caught him at a park popular with gay men, according to his nephew Stuart Milk. In 1955, after the Navy officially questioned Milk about his sexual orientation, he was made to resign with the rank of lieutenant junior grade. After moving from New York to California, Milk helped start the Castro Village Association, one of the first predominantly LGBTQ-owned business groups in the country. In 1977, he was elected to San Francisco's Board of Supervisors. While serving as a city supervisor, Milk introduced legislation to protect the gay community, including a gay rights ordinance in 1978 to ban discrimination against LGBTQ people in housing or employment. He and other activists also succeeded in striking down Proposition 6, which would have mandated the firing of gay or lesbian teachers in California. Less than a year after Milk was inaugurated as city supervisor, he and Mayor George Moscone were shot to death in the San Francisco City Hall by a former fellow city supervisor over a job dispute. When his killer was sentenced to seven years, riots broke out over what many perceived to be a lenient sentence. CNN's Andy Rose contributed to this report.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hegseth orders the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk scrubbed from Navy ship
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename the USNS 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.' 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. The decision was first reported by Phelan's office did not respond to a request for comment. The USNS 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 USS Chancellorsville — named for the Civil War battle — was renamed the USS Robert Smalls after a sailor and former enslaved person. And the USNS Maury, an oceanographic survey ship originally named after a Confederate sailor, was renamed the USNS 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. ___
Boston Globe
7 days ago
- General
- Boston Globe
Hegseth orders the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk scrubbed from Navy ship
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. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The decision was first reported by Phelan's office did not respond to a request for comment. Advertisement The USNS 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. Advertisement 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 USS Chancellorsville — named for the Civil War battle — was renamed the USS Robert Smalls after a sailor and former enslaved person. And the USNS Maury, an oceanographic survey ship originally named after a Confederate sailor, was renamed the USNS Marie Tharp after a geologist and oceanographic cartographer who created the first scientific maps of the Atlantic Ocean floor. Advertisement 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.
Winnipeg Free Press
7 days ago
- General
- Winnipeg Free Press
Hegseth orders the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk scrubbed from Navy ship
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename the USNS 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.' 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. The decision was first reported by Phelan's office did not respond to a request for comment. The USNS 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 USS Chancellorsville — named for the Civil War battle — was renamed the USS Robert Smalls after a sailor and former enslaved person. And the USNS Maury, an oceanographic survey ship originally named after a Confederate sailor, was renamed the USNS 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. ___
