Who was Harvey Milk? Why did Pete Hegseth order the US Navy to 'scrub off' his name from a ship that honored him?
Defense Secretary
Pete Hegseth
has directed the US Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a highly rare move that comes amid Pride Month and has already drawn sharp criticism.
As per the US officials, Navy Secretary John Phelan put together a small team to rename the replenishment John Lewis-class oiler, and 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.
What happened?
A memo from the Secretary of the Navy's office outlined rollout plans for the name change, which is expected to be publicly announced on June 13 aboard the USS Constitution. The renaming is reportedly intended to 'align with the president and SECDEF objectives and SECNAV priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture,' referencing priorities held by President Donald Trump, Hegseth, and Phelan.
However, no new name has yet been announced for the vessel.
Who was Harvey Milk?
Harvey Milk was a pioneering civil rights activist and the first openly gay elected official in California. Born in 1930 in Woodmere, New York, he served in the US Navy during the Korean War. After being discharged due to his sexual orientation, Milk moved to San Francisco in 1972, where he opened a camera shop on Castro Street, the heart of the city's LGBTQ+ community.
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His shop became a gathering place for activists, and Milk quickly emerged as a charismatic leader advocating for LGBTQ+ rights.
In 1973, Milk ran for a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors but was defeated. However, he continued his activism, co-founding the Castro Village Association and launching the inaugural Castro Street Fair in 1974. He also forged alliances with unions, notably supporting a boycott of Coors beer, which led to the company hiring more gay drivers.
These efforts earned him the nickname "The Mayor of Castro Street.
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In 1977, Milk was elected to the Board of Supervisors, becoming one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States. During his brief time in office, he co-sponsored a groundbreaking ordinance that banned discrimination based on sexual orientation in employment, housing, and public accommodations. He also led the successful campaign against Proposition 6, a 1978 ballot initiative that sought to ban gay teachers and their supporters from working in California schools.
Tragically, in November 1978, Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated in San Francisco City Hall by Dan White, a disgruntled former supervisor. Milk's death galvanized the LGBTQ+ community and led to widespread mourning and activism.
In recognition of his contributions, Milk was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. California declared his birthday, May 22, Harvey Milk Day, and numerous schools, streets, and public spaces have been named in his honor.
Milk served as a diving officer in the Navy during the Korean War from 1951 to 1955. Despite his honorable service, he was discharged due to his sexual orientation, reflecting the discriminatory policies of the time.
In 2016, the Navy announced plans to name a ship in his honor as part of a broader initiative to name vessels after civil rights icons. The ship, USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206), was officially named in a ceremony in San Francisco on August 16, 2016.
This decision was part of the John Lewis class of ships, named after prominent figures in the civil rights movement, including John Lewis, Earl Warren, and Sojourner Truth. The naming aimed to recognize Milk's contributions to both the military and the LGBTQ+ community, symbolizing a commitment to diversity and inclusion within the armed forces.
The renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk:
This month, US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the renaming of the US Navy's replenishment oiler, the USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206).
This decision was part of a broader initiative by the Trump administration to "reestablish the warrior culture" within the military by removing names associated with diversity and inclusion efforts. The renaming was reportedly timed to coincide with Pride Month, a move that has sparked significant controversy.
The USNS Harvey Milk was christened in 2021 to honor Milk's contributions to both the military and the LGBTQ+ community.
It was the first US Navy ship named after an openly gay person. The renaming has been met with criticism from various political figures, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and Senator Scott Wiener, who view the action as an erasure of civil rights history and a setback for LGBTQ+ recognition.
Why is the decision being seen as controversial?
The decision to rename the USNS Harvey Milk not only undermines the Navy's commitment to diversity and inclusion, especially during Pride Month, but also reflects a broader trend of revising military history to exclude contributions from marginalized groups.
In simpler words, the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk is seen as a symbolic act that diminishes the significance of LGBTQ+ representation in the military.
The Donald Trump administration's stance on LGBTQ+ rights has been characterized by a series of policy decisions and actions that have been widely perceived as regressive by LGBTQ+ advocacy groups and civil rights organizations. From initiating several measures to dismantle protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, including healthcare, education, housing, and employment, to rolling back protections for transgender students in public schools – the Trump administration has done it all with a stroke of a pen.
During his first term, President Trump even announced a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, citing concerns over military readiness and unit cohesion. Although this policy was challenged in court and faced legal hurdles, it represented a significant setback for transgender rights within the armed forces.
Hegseth's order to rename the USNS Harvey Milk – that, too, during Pride Month – is being seen as a strong message in extension of the military service ban on the LGBTQ community, which indeed raises questions about the balance between honoring diverse contributions and adhering to traditional military ethos.
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