Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the renaming of a US Navy ship that honors the San Francisco gay rights advocate Harvey Milk. According to reports, officials indicated that the Navy is preparing to remove Milk’s name from the vessel, as directed by Hegseth to Navy Secretary John Phelan. Interestingly, some civil servants believe the timing of this announcement during Pride Month was deliberate.
The memorandum regarding the name change emphasized a shift in the culture of the Department of Defense and the Navy, aligning with the President’s and the Secretary of Defense’s priorities to restore a certain warrior spirit.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Department of Defense and the Navy but did not receive any comments. However, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell hinted that this name change may not be the last. He noted that Hegseth aims to ensure that the names of military assets reflect the history and values of the nation.
USNS Harvey Milk was named during the Obama administration in 2016. After its maiden voyage in 2024, it was welcomed back to San Francisco with much fanfare. The Harvey Milk Foundation commemorates Milk as a pivotal human rights leader, highlighting his election to public office in 1977 as a significant achievement. Interesting to note, Milk had enlisted in the Navy in 1951 but resigned in 1955 amidst questions regarding his sexual orientation.
The renaming decision has received criticism, particularly from Representative Nancy Pelosi, who expressed her hope that the Navy would reconsider this “terrible decision” during Pride Month. She described the move as a departure from core American values, undermining the legacy of those who fought for equality.
