The Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, ordered the Navy to Atance the name of the Harvey Milk Homosexual Rights activist of one of his ships, orchestrating the change as celebrations of the month of pride.
A defense official said that the moment of the decision was intentional.
The guests go through the USNS Harvey Milk in general Dynamics Nassco Shipyard during the baptism and launch ceremony for the ship in San Diego, California, on November 6, 2021.
Ariana Drehsler/AFP through Getty Images
The order was first reported by Military.com and confirmed by ABC News.
The USNS Harvey Milk is one of several ships that are named after leading leaders and civil rights activists. A new name has not been announced.
Harvey Milk, an openly gay member of the San Francisco Supervisors Board, is outside its camera shop in San Francisco, November 9, 1977.
Bettmann Archive/Getty Images
Milk was one of the first openly homosexual men chosen for a public office in the United States after winning a seat at the San Francisco Supervisors Board in 1977. He was killed a year later.
Before his death, Milk was attributed to his friend and artist Gilbert Baker, an American army veteran to create the pride flag. 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 ABC News comments.
