US Navy Plans to Rename Ship Named After Gay Rights Leader Harvey Milk
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The US Navy has plans to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a fleet replenishment oiler named after the slain gay rights leader and Navy veteran, according to documents obtained by CBS News. The move is part of a broader effort to re-align the US military with Trump administration priorities.
The USNS Harvey Milk is one of several naval ships named after civil rights leaders and prominent American voices that are being considered for a name change. Other vessels on the Navy’s renaming “recommended list” include the USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, USNS Harriet Tubman, USNS Dolores Huerta, USNS Lucy Stone, USNS Cesar Chavez, and USNS Medgar Evers.
According to CBS News, a December 2024 web article from Naval Sea Systems Command about the laying of the keel for the future USNS Thurgood Marshall has been deleted. The documents obtained by CBS News show proposed timelines for rolling out the name change of the USNS Harvey Milk to the public, although the new name has not been announced.
The move has been met with criticism from lawmakers and LGBTQ+ advocates. Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi told CBS News in a statement, “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.”
Pelosi added, “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.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also condemned the move, 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 Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on X that the decision “should be ashamed of himself and reverse this immediately.”
The documents obtained by CBS News were not marked with traditional classification markers, but did contain a “CAUTION” note referring to the information as publicly sensitive. The memo said the renaming of naval ships was to re-align the US military with Trump administration priorities of “re-establishing the warrior culture.”
Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement that Defence Secretary Pete 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.” Parnell added that any potential renaming decisions would be announced once internal reviews are complete.
The USNS Harvey Milk is a John Lewis-class replenishment oiler, designed to support carrier strike groups at sea. The class of ships is named after civil rights icon and Congressman John Lewis, who died in 2020. Harvey Milk, the political trailblazer, emerged in the 1970s as one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States. He was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977 and became a national symbol of LGBTQ+ political empowerment.
Milk’s life was cut short in 1978 when he was assassinated in City Hall, alongside Mayor George Moscone. Before he emerged as one of the most visible advocates for gay rights in American history, Milk served in the US Navy from 1952 to 1954, holding posts as an operations and dive officer aboard two submarine rescue ships.
However, his sexual orientation carried profound consequences, and Milk was drummed out of the US military, like many other gay service members of his era. In January 1954, he resigned his commission and accepted an “Other Than Honorable” discharge. In 2021, the Navy approached Milk’s nephew, Stuart Milk, to see if he wanted his uncle’s discharge upgraded, but Stuart decided against it as a reminder that not everyone was treated with honour.
The name change would follow two base renamings Hegseth directed earlier this year to reverse the work a congressionally mandated naming commission did to remove names honouring the Confederacy. In February, he directed Fort Liberty in North Carolina to return to Fort Bragg, and then directed Fort Moore to change to Fort Benning.
The Navy has renamed ships for various reasons, but name changes are still an exceptionally rare occurrence, especially after the ships have entered service. As CBS News reports, the US Navy’s decision to rename the USNS Harvey Milk and other ships has sparked controversy and criticism from lawmakers and advocates.
The renaming of ships and bases has become a contentious issue, with some arguing that it is an attempt to erase American history and others arguing that it is necessary to ensure that the names attached to military assets reflect the country’s values and priorities.
As the issue continues to unfold, one thing is clear: the US Navy’s decision to rename the USNS Harvey Milk and other ships has significant implications for the country’s military and its values.
CBS News has contacted the US Navy for comment but has yet to receive a response.
In related news, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has faced criticism for his handling of the issue, with some lawmakers and advocates calling for him to reconsider the decision to rename the ships.
The controversy highlights the ongoing debate over the role of identity and heritage in the US military, and the challenges of balancing the need to honour the country’s history with the need to ensure that the names attached to military assets reflect the country’s values and priorities.
This is not the first time the US Navy has faced criticism for its handling of issues related to identity and heritage. In recent years, the Navy has faced controversy over its handling of issues such as racism and sexism, and has taken steps to address these issues and improve diversity and inclusion within the ranks.
As the US Navy continues to navigate these complex issues, it will be important for the service to balance the need to honour the country’s history with the need to ensure that the names attached to military assets reflect the country’s values and priorities.
The US Navy’s decision to rename the USNS Harvey Milk and other ships is a significant development in this ongoing debate, and CBS News will continue to provide updates and analysis as more information becomes available.
Source: CBS News
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