Harvey Milk Ship Renaming: Pete Hegseth Controversy
- The Navy will strip the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk from one of its ships, the USNS Harvey Milk, following an order from Defense Secretary Pete...
- The USNS Harvey Milk,a replenishment oiler,is among several ships being considered for renaming.
- The new name for the USNS Harvey Milk remains unclear, according to a memorandum from the Office of the Secretary of the Navy.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a ship honoring the LGBTQ+ activist, sparking controversy during Pride month. Reports suggest the timing of the renaming was intentional, signaling a shift in priorities. This decision, involving the primary_keyword ”ship renaming,” also places other vessels honoring civil rights leaders under consideration, including the USNS Thurgood Marshall and the USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, hinting at a broader reassessment. Secondary_keyword “Harvey Milk” is at the center of the story. The new name remains unkown, but the implications of this move are significant, especially considering Hegseth’s previous actions regarding military base names. News Directory 3 will continue to follow this and other developments. Discover what’s next as the Navy announces the new name.
Navy too Rename Ship Honoring Harvey Milk
Updated June 3, 2025
The Navy will strip the name of gay rights activist Harvey Milk from one of its ships, the USNS Harvey Milk, following an order from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. According to reports, the decision was timed to coincide wiht Pride month.
The USNS Harvey Milk,a replenishment oiler,is among several ships being considered for renaming. Others 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.
The new name for the USNS Harvey Milk remains unclear, according to a memorandum from the Office of the Secretary of the Navy.
“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,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell told Forbes in an email. “Any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete.”
Harvey Milk, a human rights activist and Navy veteran, became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S. when he won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in the late 1970s. Milk served in the Korean War as an operations officer. He later resigned from the Navy and accepted an “other than honorable” discharge after being questioned about his sexual orientation. Before entering politics, Milk was a prominent LGBTQ+ advocate in San Francisco’s Castro District. He was assassinated less than a year after taking office.
Sence taking office, Hegseth has initiated other renaming efforts. In March, he renamed Fort Moore back to Fort Benning, its original name honoring Confederate General henry Benning. He circumvented a law against honoring Confederate generals by naming the base after World War I soldier Corporal Fred G. Benning. Hegseth had previously criticized the renaming of bases honoring Confederate figures.
What’s next
The Navy will announce the new name for the ship after internal reviews are completed.