Outrage Over Plans to Strip Harvey Milk’s Name from Navy Ship

The US government continues its shameful erasure of LGBTQ+ history, following reports that the US Navy plans to rename a ship that honours LGBTQ+ rights icon Harvey Milk.

According to Military.com, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the renaming of the navy oiler USNS Harvey Milk. An official told the publication that the timing of the move—during international Pride Month—was deliberate.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told Reuters that a formal statement would be issued once an internal review was completed.

Parnell  explained that Hegseth was determined to ensure that the names of military installations and equipment to “reflect the Commander-in-Chief’s [President Donald Trump’s] priorities, our nation’s history, and the warrior ethos.”

Milk’s Legacy and Military Discharge

Harvey Milk was a pioneering American politician and gay rights activist in the 1970s, widely recognised as one of the first openly gay individuals elected to public office in the US. He was assassinated at the age of 48 by a disgruntled colleague.

In 1955, Milk was discharged from the Navy under an “other than honourable” status simply for being gay.

In a powerful gesture of recognition and redress, the US Navy named the ship in his honour in 2021 during a public ceremony.

Milk Family Responds to the Announcement

The Milk family and the Harvey Milk Foundation expressed their anguish in a joint statement, saying they were “heartbroken” by the decision.

Stuart Milk, Harvey Milk’s nephew and founder of the foundation, affirmed that the activist’s legacy would endure despite the renaming.

“Rather such an action would only serve to prove that Harvey Milk-style hope will continue to endure and inspire across the globe,” he said.

He added, “Neither bullets nor name stripping can stop Harvey’s overriding message to us all—when he prophetically anticipated making the ultimate sacrifice: ‘Let the bullets that enter my brain, destroy every closet door.'”

Wider Pattern of LGBTQ Erasure Under Trump-Era Policies

The decision comes amid ongoing efforts by the Trump administration to implement anti-DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) policies, which critics say are systematically erasing LGBTQ+ history and identities.

In February, the National Park Service came under fire for removing references to transgender and queer individuals from the website for the Stonewall National Monument.