In a highly controversial move, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the U.S. Navy to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a supply ship honoring the slain gay rights icon and Korean War veteran. The decision announced during Pride Month has drawn sharp criticism and is seen as part of a broader effort to purge references to diversity, equity, and inclusion across the Department of Defense.
According to anonymous officials familiar with the matter, Navy Secretary John Phelan has assembled a small team to oversee the renaming. The new name has not yet been selected but is expected to be announced by the end of the month. An internal memo justifying the decision framed it as a realignment with President Donald Trump’s goal to “re-establish the warrior culture” within the military.
The USNS Harvey Milk was christened in 2021 and named in 2016 by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus as part of a class of ships honoring civil rights leaders, including John Lewis. Milk served four years in the Navy but was forced out due to his sexual orientation. He later became one of the first openly gay elected officials in the U.S., serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors before his assassination in 1978.
Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell defended the renaming, stating Hegseth is “committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, our nation’s history, and the warrior ethos.”
The announcement has sparked backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates and political leaders. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the move “spiteful” and “a surrender of a fundamental American value.” California Governor Gavin Newsom echoed the outrage, saying the change reveals “Trump’s contempt for the very values our veterans fight to protect.”
The ship, operated by Military Sealift Command with a crew of 125 civilian mariners, completed its first resupply mission in late 2024 and is currently undergoing maintenance in Mobile, Alabama.
Renaming a Navy ship is a rare and symbolic act, even viewed by sailors as bad luck. But this decision isn’t just about tradition; it signals a shift in the cultural values the military chooses to honor, drawing a stark contrast to the Biden-era rebranding of vessels that once bore Confederate names.