During Pride Month, when the LGBTQ+ community comes together to celebrate, leaders in San Francisco are slamming the Trump administration for removing the name of gay rights icon Harvey Milk from a US military ship.
A respected figure in San Francisco history, Milk was a former city supervisor and an advocate for homosexual rights who was assassinated in 1978 by Dan White, a former supervisor who was enraged, along with Mayor George Moscone. Last month, on the occasion of what would have been Milk’s 95th birthday, the state of California issued proclamations praising his honesty, generosity, and appeals for harmony.
He was forcibly removed from the Navy after four years of service during the Korean War due to his sexual orientation. After that, Milk settled in San Francisco, where he made history in 1977 as one of the world’s first openly homosexual politicians when he was elected to the Board of Supervisors.
A close friend and LGBTQ+ activist named Cleve Jones called the rebranding a Trump administration effort to divert attention away from more pressing issues, such as the continuing conflict in Gaza and the impending cuts to Social Security and Medicaid.
“Indeed, this is insensitive, small-minded, and foolish, and yes, it belittles my community,” Jones remarked. “I am prepared to bet a pretty penny that when American families gather around the kitchen table this evening, they won’t be discussing how much safer they feel now that Harvey’s name will be removed from that ship.”
The Pentagon has been tight-lipped about the rebranding, which is extremely unusual, but anonymous sources claim that an internal document detailed the change. The move is in line with Trump administration efforts, led by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, to eradicate any mention of diversity, equity, or inclusion from official documents, programs, and social media platforms. The United States Navy ship Harvey Milk has not been rechristened as of yet.
Stuart Milk, who is the nephew of Harvey Milk, called the Pentagon on Wednesday to inform them that a name change is being considered. The Pentagon confirmed the request.
According to Stuart Milk, executive chair of the foundation, “And our hope is that the recommendation is put aside, but if it’s not, it will be a rallying cry not just for our community but for all minority communities.” Milk went on to say that his uncle had always emphasized the need of being vigilant for the rights of marginalized communities, including the LGBT community.
According to Milk, “I don’t think he’d be surprised.” However, she added, “he’d be calling on us to remain vigilant, to stay active.”
A number of prominent politicians, such as California Governor Gavin Newsom and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, have condemned the decision, describing it as an affront to basic American principles of remembering and honoring soldiers and others who have contributed to the betterment of our nation. Democrats from San Francisco include Pelosi and Newsom.
A shameful gesture from a guy seeking to divert us from his incompetence to lead the Pentagon was what Newsom called Hegseth’s effort on the social site X, in her attack on him.
Milk is an inspiration to all Americans, according to San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, who released a statement praising his lifelong commitment to public service. Neither Trump nor Hegseth were brought up by him.
In 2016, then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announced that the John Lewis class of oilers will be named after figures who battled for civil and human rights. He christened the USNS Harvey Milk after one of these individuals.
In the 2008 Oscar-winning film Milk, Sean Penn played the role of Harvey Milk, whose daring political ascent and tragic end were brought to light by a supervisor who voted the lone “no” on his bill outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation.
The Biden administration renamed two Navy ships in 2023 as part of its endeavor to erase Confederate names from U.S. military establishments, but renaming is not often done.
