Navy Renames USNS Harvey Milk: Controversy & Updates
- California leaders are protesting reports that the Trump administration is considering removing Harvey Milk's name from a U.S.
- The USNS harvey Milk, an oiler named for the slain civil rights leader, was launched in 2021.
- Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesperson, stated that Hegseth aims to ensure that names on Department of Defense assets reflect the Commander-in-chief's priorities, national history, and the "warrior ethos."...
Reports indicate the Trump administration may rename the USNS Harvey Milk, igniting a firestorm of controversy during Pride Month. this potential move, decried by California officials, is seen as a direct attack on Milk’s legacy as a gay rights icon and Navy veteran. Discover the key details surrounding the USNS Harvey Milk and how this decision could marginalize the LGBTQ+ community. News Directory 3 delivers updates on the Pentagon’s internal reviews and the voices speaking out against this controversial decision. What developments are unfolding as the Navy considers its next steps? Discover what’s next …
Controversy Erupts Over Potential Renaming of harvey Milk Navy Ship
Updated june 03, 2025
California leaders are protesting reports that the Trump administration is considering removing Harvey Milk’s name from a U.S. Navy ship. The potential move has sparked outrage, especially during Pride month, with many calling it a direct attack on the LGBTQ+ community and a disservice to Milk’s legacy as a gay rights icon and Navy veteran.
The USNS harvey Milk, an oiler named for the slain civil rights leader, was launched in 2021. News of a possible renaming surfaced Tuesday, with Military.com reporting that Defense Secretary Pete hegseth ordered the change. The Pentagon has neither confirmed nor denied the report.
Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesperson, stated that Hegseth aims to ensure that names on Department of Defense assets reflect the Commander-in-chief’s priorities, national history, and the “warrior ethos.” Parnell added that any renaming announcements would follow internal reviews.
California Gov.Gavin Newsom criticized the potential renaming on X, calling it a new low in Trump’s “assault on veterans.”
“Harvey Milk wasn’t just a civil rights icon — he was a Korean War combat veteran whose commander called him ‘outstanding,’” Newsom said.”Stripping his name from a Navy ship won’t erase his legacy as an American icon, but it does reveal Trump’s contempt for the very values our veterans fight to protect.”
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) echoed Newsom’s sentiment, stating on X that the move is a “shameful, vindictive erasure” that weakens national security.
State Sen.Scott Wiener, who once held Milk’s former seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, believes the potential renaming is part of a broader effort to marginalize LGBTQ+ individuals from public life.
“They want us to go away, to go back in the closet, not to be part of public life,” Wiener said. “And we’re not going anywhere.”
Milk, a Navy veteran who resigned in 1955 after being questioned about his sexual orientation, moved to san Francisco in 1972 and became a prominent political figure. He was elected to the board of Supervisors in 1977 and played a key role in defeating a 1978 initiative that would have banned gay and lesbian teachers in California public schools.
Milk’s assassination in 1978, alongside Mayor George Moscone, solidified his status as a martyr and icon for the gay rights movement. Wiener emphasized Milk’s importance as a role model, stating that removing his name from the ship would be particularly painful for young LGBTQ+ individuals.
“A group of LGBTQ veterans worked for years and years to achieve this goal of naming a ship for Harvey, and to have that taken away so casually, right during Pride month, is heartbreaking and painful,” Wiener said.
The Navy first announced in 2016 its intention to name ships after Milk and other civil rights figures, including Sojourner Truth and John Lewis. At a 2019 event, Milk’s nephew, Stuart Milk, said the naming “sends a global message of inclusion.”
What’s next
The Pentagon is conducting internal reviews regarding the naming of Department of Defense assets. The fate of the USNS Harvey milk remains uncertain pending the completion of this review process.