WASHINGTON, DC (LOOTPRESS) – U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has directed the Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a support ship named in honor of the late San Francisco civil rights icon and one of the first openly gay elected officials in U.S. history.
According to a memo obtained by Military Times, Hegseth ordered Navy Secretary John Phelan to begin the process of renaming the vessel. A defense official cited by the outlet said the timing of the announcement—during Pride Month—was deliberate, signaling what the Department of Defense describes as a cultural shift toward “reestablishing the warrior culture” within the military.
The USNS Harvey Milk was named in 2016 under the Obama administration and began its service in 2024, completing its maiden voyage to San Francisco. Milk, who was assassinated in 1978, served in the Navy during the early 1950s but resigned after being questioned about his sexual orientation.
In an emailed statement, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell did not deny the decision, stating that Secretary Hegseth “is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD installations and assets reflect the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, our nation’s history, and the warrior ethos.” He added that additional renaming decisions may follow pending internal reviews.
The decision has sparked strong political backlash. Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) condemned the move, calling it a “shameful, vindictive erasure” of progress made for LGBTQ+ rights.
“As the rest of us are celebrating the joy of Pride Month, it is my hope that the Navy will reconsider this egregious decision,” Pelosi said in a statement. “This spiteful move is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country.”
As of Tuesday, the Department of Defense and U.S. Navy had not issued formal responses to media inquiries regarding the renaming.
