Navy to scrub gay activist Harvey Milk’s name from ship, report says

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered that an oiler ship named after gay activist Harvey Milk be renamed, according to Military.com, citing an internal memo from the Office of the Secretary of the Navy. The memo said the renaming would ensure alignment with defense priorities of reestablishing a warrior culture, according to the site. Navy Secretary John Phelan was preparing to make the rare change in compliance with Hegseth’s order, the memo said. The ship was named after Milk in 2016, according to USNI News.

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on Tuesday characterized the decision, which came as some Americans celebrate Pride Month, as shameful and vindictive. She urged the Navy to reconsider. Hegseth had not publicly commented on the decision by midday Wednesday.

Hegseth and Phelan are expected to announce the new name from the deck of the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned Navy ship, around June 13, according to Military.com.

Who was Harvey Milk? He was known for being one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States. He won a seat on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors in 1977. Milk held the position nearly a year before being assassinated, according to his official biography. He served in the Navy from 1951 to 1955, when he resigned after being questioned about his sexual orientation.

What else is new in U.S. defense? The Army on Tuesday said it had met its fiscal year 2025 recruiting goal with four months to spare. More than 61,000 future soldiers enlisted, it said. The goal had been raised from 2024, when the Army exceeded its target of 55,000 recruits, according to the Association of the United States Army.

Dig deeper: Read my report on how Ukrainian special forces targeted a Russian bridge in Crimea.