US: Pentagon orders renaming of navy ship honoring gay rights icon, Harvey Milk

US Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a ship named after the groundbreaking gay rights activist and Navy veteran, according to a defense official.

The move, expected to take place later this month, coincides with Pride Month. A new name has not yet been announced.

Launched in 2021, the USNS Harvey Milk is part of the John Lewis-class of replenishment oilers, which are named after civil rights icons.

Milk served in the Navy in the 1950s as a diving officer. He was forced to resign after being questioned about his sexuality, at a time when gay service members were barred from openly serving.

Renaming a Navy ship is highly unusual. Experts note that such changes rarely come at the direction of a sitting defense secretary.

The last known renaming occurred in 2023, following a congressional commission’s recommendation to remove Confederate-linked names from military assets.

That process led to renaming the USS Chancellorsville and USNS Maury.

Other ships in the John Lewis-class include the USNS Earl Warren, USNS Robert F. Kennedy, USNS Lucy Stone, and USNS Sojourner Truth.

The decision aligns with Hegseth’s stated effort to rebuild a “warrior culture” within the U.S. military.

He has focused on eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and has advocated for restoring original base names — even those linked to the Confederacy.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement, “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.

Any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete.”

The order has sparked immediate criticism from civil rights leaders and lawmakers.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the move “a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream.” She 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.”

(CNN)

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