Latest news with #renaming
The Independent
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Harvey Milk was just the start, Navy to rename other ships named for liberal heroes
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 's decision to strip the name of trailblazing LGBT+ activist Harvey Milk from a U.S. Navy vessel will be followed by the renaming of many more ships, according to reports. Documents obtained by CBS News indicate that other vessels could be renamed as part of Hegseth's purge of ' woke ' ideology from the military in addition to the USNS Harvey Milk, including the USNS Thurgood Marshall, the USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the USNS Harriet Tubman, the USNS Dolores Huerta, the USNS Lucy Stone, the USNS Cesar Chavez, and the USNS Medgar Evers. The vessels placed on the Navy's 'recommended list' for renaming are all named for liberal icons. The task of renaming the ships will fall to Navy Secretary John Phelan. 'Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all Department of Defense 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. Since being confirmed by the Senate in January, Hegseth has ordered the U.S. military to stamp out diversity, equity, and inclusion hiring practices in accordance with an executive order from President Donald Trump. The order extends to ending associations with minority awareness events such as Pride Month, Black History Month, and Women's History Month. These moves caused uproar in March when pages paying tribute to the service of American icons Jackie Robinson, the Navajo Code Talkers and Ira Hayes were removed from the Pentagon website, with his then-spokesperson John Ullyot issuing a statement declaring: 'DEI is dead at the Department of Defense.' Responding to the decision to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a replenishment oiler given its name in 2021, California LGBT+ activist Nicole Murray-Ramirez told NBC San Diego: 'The truth is this administration has made it clear they want to erase the LGBTQ community and its history. It wants to erase a lot of history.' 'This does nothing to help crew members prepare for war. It's nothing but a distraction,' added James Seddon, a Navy veteran of 20 years experience, who pointed to the logistical problems likely to arise from the name change. 'Thousands of things will have to be reprinted or embroidered, from [the] ship's ball caps (which are part of the official uniform) to many other uniform parts that contain the ship's name. 'Not to mention that the ship's name isn't simply painted on the hull. There's raised steel that spells the name. The hull will have to be grinded down to rename the ship.' Seddon also warned of 'unnecessary controversy between members of the crew' arising from potential clashes of views that could undermine 'unit cohesion and training.' Milk became the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California when he became a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in January 1978, having won a historic election the previous year. He was assassinated the following November after the passage of a bill prohibiting housing and employment discrimination because of sexual orientation. As a young man, Milk joined the Navy in 1951 and served as an operations and diving officer on the submarines USS Kittiwake and USS Chanticleer. But, in 1954, he was court-martialed after being accused of taking part in a 'homosexual act,' ultimately choosing to resign his commission and accept an 'Other Than Honorable' discharge rather than face trial. His story was told in Gus Van Sant's 2008 biopic Milk starring Sean Penn.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Hegseth Orders Navy to Strip Name of Gay Rights Icon Harvey Milk from Ship
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to take the rare step of renaming a ship, one that bears the name of a gay rights icon, documents and sources show. reviewed a memorandum from the Office of the Secretary of the Navy -- the official who holds the power to name Navy ships -- that showed the sea service had come up with rollout plans for the renaming of the oiler ship USNS Harvey Milk. A defense official confirmed that the Navy was making preparations to strip the ship of its name but noted that Navy Secretary John Phelan was ordered to do so by Hegseth. The official also said that the timing of the announcement -- occurring during Pride month -- was intentional. Read Next: Overhauled Army Caisson Unit Conducts First Funeral Service at Arlington Following Suspension reached out to Hegseth's office for comment on the move but did not immediately receive a response. However, the memo reviewed by noted that the renaming was being done so that there is "alignment with president and SECDEF objectives and SECNAV priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture," apparently referencing President Donald Trump, Hegseth and Phelan. Milk became one of the first openly gay elected officials in U.S. history during the 1970s, making him an icon of the nascent gay civil rights movement, and was killed while serving on the board of supervisors in San Francisco. The renaming news was slated to become public June 13, according to the memo. A new name for the Harvey Milk was not given but, according to the memo, Hegseth and Phelan are planning to announce the new name aboard the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned Navy ship. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the former House Speaker who represents much of San Francisco, in a statement Tuesday called the decision to rename the ship "a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country." The Harvey Milk is a John Lewis-class oiler, a group of ships that are to be named after prominent civil rights leaders and activists. CBS reported Tuesday that the Navy is also considering renaming other John Lewis-class oilers including the USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and USNS Harriet Tubman. Both Marshall and Ginsburg were Supreme Court justices, and Tubman was a Black abolitionist who helped slaves escape the South via the Underground Railroad. Unlike the Milk, though, some of the ships being considered for renaming have yet to be completed. Pelosi called that possibility "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," she added. While there are some rare examples of Navy ships being renamed following construction and christening, those instances are outliers and, broadly, Navy traditions consider renaming a ship to be taboo. The most recent renaming occurred in 2023 when the Navy decided to rename the cruiser USS Chancellorsville and research ship USNS Maury -- two names with ties to the Confederacy -- to USS Robert Smalls and USNS Marie Tharp, respectively. Unlike the decision to rename the Harvey Milk, which was done on the orders of Hegseth, the recommendation to rename the two ships came from a commission that was created by Congress to study names with ties to the Confederacy across the entire military. The oiler was first named after Milk in 2016 by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus. Milk came from a family that had a history of naval service and he was commissioned as an officer in 1951, according to USNI News. Milk then served as a diving officer on the submarine rescue ship USS Kittiwake during the Korean War. He left the service as a lieutenant junior grade in 1955 with a "less than honorable" discharge "after being officially questioned about his sexual orientation," according to his official biography. Milk then went on to run for political office in California, winning a seat on the San Francisco board of supervisors in 1977. He was killed in office in 1978 shortly after passing a bill banning housing and employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. His death transformed Milk into an icon in San Francisco and a martyr in the LGBTQ community. He was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. The USNS Harvey Milk is currently completing maintenance and refit work at a shipyard in Alabama that is expected to wrap up by the end of June. Editor's note: This story has been updated with a statement from Rep. Nancy Pelosi, as well as additional reporting by CBS News. The nature of Milk's discharge from the Navy was also corrected. Related: Hegseth Restricts Press Access at Pentagon, Says Journalists Will Be Required to Sign Pledge
Fox News
6 days ago
- General
- Fox News
Navy ship USNS Harvey Milk to be renamed as part of Pentagon's 'warrior culture' shift
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the renaming of a U.S. Navy ship named after San Francisco gay rights activist Harvey Milk. The Military Times first reported on a memorandum issued by the Office of the Secretary of the Navy rolling out plans to rename the oiler USNS Harvey Milk. The outlet reported that a defense official said the U.S. Navy was making preparations to strip the ship of its name and that Hegseth had directed Navy Secretary John Phelan to do so. The Military Times also reported the official saying the timing of the announcement during Pride month was intentional. The memo directing the renaming of the ship said the move is meant to mark a shift in culture in the Department of Defense and U.S. Navy in "alignment with president and SECDEF [secretary of defense] objectives and SECNAV [secretary of the Navy] priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture," according to the outlet. Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Defense and U.S. Navy but did not receive a response. In an emailed statement sent to Fox News, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell did not deny the renaming of the ship but indicated that further name changes may be coming. "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," said Parnell. Parnell said that "any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete." The USNS Harvey Milk was named after Milk in 2016 during the Obama administration. The ship completed its maiden voyage in 2024, arriving in San Francisco with much fanfare. According to the Harvey Milk Foundation, Milk was a "visionary civil and human rights leader who became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States" when he was elected to public office in San Francisco in 1977. The foundation said that Milk enlisted in the Navy in 1951 but resigned in 1955 at the rank of lieutenant junior grade "after being officially questioned about his sexual orientation." The renaming has been soundly condemned by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who called the move a "shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream." "As the rest of us are celebrating the joy of Pride Month, it is my hope that the Navy will reconsider this egregious decision," Pelosi said in a statement. Pelosi claimed that "this spiteful move … is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country."
Washington Post
7 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
Hegseth orders the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk scrubbed from Navy ship
WASHINGTON — 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 Independent
7 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Pete Hegseth orders Navy to strip name of gay rights icon Harvey Milk from ship in time for Pride Month
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that the ship bearing the name of gay rights icon and Navy veteran Harvey Milk be renamed, according to The Office of the Secretary of the Navy issued a memo revealing the plans to change the name of the replenishment oiler ship USNS Harvey Milk, which was christened in 2021. They're also considering renaming several naval ships named after civil rights leaders and other distinguished Americans, CBS News noted. An official noted that the Navy was taking steps to change the name of the ship, but added that the Navy Secretary, John Phelan, was ordered to make the name change by Hegseth. The official added that the announcement timing, coming during Pride Month, was intentional, according to Washington D.C. is hosting WorldPride celebrations this year. Documents obtained by CBS News reveal that other ships under consideration for renaming 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. The memo seen by stated that the name change was done for there to be "alignment with president and SECDEF objectives and SECNAV priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture," in a seeming reference to President Donald Trump, Hegseth, and Phelan. Milk became the first openly gay man elected to public office in California when he became a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978 after winning an election the previous year. He was assassinated in November 1978 following the passage of a bill prohibiting housing and employment discrimination because of sexual orientation. The renaming of the ship was set to become public on June 13, the memo said. While a new name for the Milk has not been announced, the memo said Hegseth and Phelan are set to make the announcement aboard the oldest commissioned ship in the Navy, the USS Constitution. The Harvey Milk is an oiler ship in the John Lewis -class. It's part of a group of ships named after civil rights activists. Lewis was a congressman and civil rights icon who passed away in 2020. Instances of renaming Navy ships are rare, and the process is taboo according to Navy traditions, noted. The Navy most recently renamed two ships in 2023 with connections to the Confederacy, the USS Chancellorsville and the research ship USNS Maury, to USS Robert Smalls and USNS Marie Tharp. Smalls was a slave who took charge of a Confederate ship and surrendered it to the Union, while Tharp was an oceanographer. However, these name changes were done following the recommendation of a commission established by Congress to review names with connections to the Confederacy in the entire military. The USNS Harvey Milk received its name in 2016 from the Navy secretary at the time, Ray Mabus. USNI News noted that Milk came from a family with a history of service in the Navy. Milk was commissioned in 1951. During the Korean War, he was an operations and diving officer on the submarines USS Kittiwake and USS Chanticleer. However, in 1954, Milk was facing a court-martial for previously having taken part in a 'homosexual act.' Instead of a trial, Milk left the armed forces, similarly to many other gay service members at that time. He resigned his commission and accepted an 'Other Than Honorable' discharge, CBS News noted. Becoming an icon and martyr in the LGBT+ community, he posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. The USNS Harvey Milk is currently undergoing maintenance work at a shipyard in Alabama. Speaker Emerita and San Francisco Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi told CBS: '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,' she added. Hegseth was confirmed in January, and he was quick to issue a directive ordering the Pentagon and the various branches of the military to stop having events connected to heritage and awareness months, such as Pride Month, Black History Month, and Women's History Month, arguing that it could damage unity. The documents seen by CBS News say that Phelan should select a new name for the USNS Harvey Milk on Tuesday and that notifications of the new name would be sent to other Navy officials later in the week following a legal review.
