Hegseth orders the Navy to rename the ship in honor of the Homosexuals Harvey Milk Homosexuals activist
Defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, ordered the Navy to strike the name of the Homosexuals Harvey Milk Homosexuals with one of his ships, orchestrating the change while the celebrations of the month of pride take place.
A defense official said the decision calendar was intentional.
The guests pass in front of the USNS Harvey Milk at the Shipyard General Dynamics Nassco during the baptism and launch ceremony of the ship in San Diego, California, November 6, 2021.
Ariana Drehsler / AFP via Getty Images
The order was reported for the first time by Military.com and confirmed by ABC News.
The USNS Harvey Milk is one of the many ships named eminent leaders and civil rights activists. A new name has not been announced.
Harvey Milk, an openly gay member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, is outside his cameras store in San Francisco, November 9, 1977.
Bettmann Archive / Getty Images
Milk was one of the first openly gay men elected in the public service in the United States after winning a seat at the Board of Supervisors in San Francisco in 1977. It was murdered a year later.
Before his death, Milk was recognized for encouraging his friend and artist Gilbert Baker, a veteran of the American army to create the flag of pride. The milk was played by Sean Penn in the 2008 “Milk” biographical film.
Hegseth and the secretary of the navy, John Phelan, did not immediately respond to the requests for comments from ABC News.
