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Retired Navy admiral criticizes Hegseth over Harvey Milk ship renaming
- In early June 2025, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth instructed the Navy to remove the name of Harvey Milk, among others, from several ships, triggering significant political controversy.
- Hegseth's order aims to rebrand the vessels to reestablish a warrior ethos and reject what he calls "wokeness," amid a broader federal push against naming military assets after liberal icons.
- The USNS Harvey Milk, launched in 2021 and honoring the pioneering openly gay elected official and Navy veteran, recognizes both civil rights and military service, much like the USNS Medgar Evers, which is named for a World War II soldier and civil rights activist.
- Representative Scott Peters introduced legislation to stop the Navy from renaming these vessels, supported by multiple Democrats and civil rights groups, while Milk's family and Medgar Evers' descendants criticized the renaming attempts as malicious and unreflective of American values.
- This controversy highlights tensions over military traditions, historical memory, and inclusion, suggesting ongoing conflict over the symbols representing U.S. military heritage and social progress.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Peters introduces legislation to block renaming of Navy ships like USNS Harvey Milk
The launch of the USNS Harvey Milk in 2021. (File photo by Chris Stone/Times of San Diego) Rep. Scott Peters on Friday introduced a bill to prevent the U.S. Navy from renaming the USNS Harvey Milk and other ships honoring “great Americans” and civil rights leaders, according to a press release. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered Navy Secretary John Phelan to rename the USNS Harvey Milk earlier this month, sparking heavy backlash from De…
Not on His Watch! Matt Bomer Wears USNS Harvey Milk t-shirt to Honor His Legacy and Cement the Name of the Naval Vessel Despite Trump’s Proposed Removal
The Trump Administration’s attacks against the LGBTQ community range from truly harmful to utterly absurd to downright petty. The latest among these attacks, arguably a combination of all three, is a proposal to change the name of USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206) – a gesture introduced, of course, during Pride Month. The slight to Harvey Milk [...] The post Not on His Watch! Matt Bomer Wears USNS Harvey Milk t-shirt to Honor His Legacy and Cement the…
Rep. Scott Peters introduces bill to prevent the renaming of Navy ships, including the USNS Harvey Milk
The introduction of the legislation comes after reports of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordering the Secretary of the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk during Pride Month.
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