The U.S. Navy ship honoring navy veteran and gay rights pioneer Harvey Milk will be renamed following reported orders from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth — sparking criticism of a move described as "petty" and divisive.
The USNS Harvey Milk, a fleet oiler named in 2016 after the assassinated San Francisco mayor, is being renamed as part of what the Pentagon claims is a push to "reestablish the warrior culture," according to a memo obtained by CBS News. The move was approved by Hegseth and carried out under the direction of Navy Secretary John Phelan.
Conservative columnist John Fund called the decision a "gratuitous insult" in an editorial defending Milk as a patriot and historically significant figure.
"Stripping the ship of the only name it has ever had would be a retrograde move and needlessly exacerbate divisions in the armed forces," Fund wrote, noting the infrequency with which naval ships are renamed.
Before Harvey Milk became California's first openly gay elected official, he was a Navy officer in the Korean war. Fund noted Milk's early conservatism, libertarian instincts, and his personal commitment to military service and American ideals.
"He was proud to serve his country," Fund emphasized. In 2009, Milk was posthumously awarded a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Fund also referenced President Donald Trump's record of tolerance toward the LGBTQ community, despite his administration's firm stance against DEI programs it insists are counterproductive. He cited appointments of openly gay officials such as Richard Grenell and current Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
"Allowing the Pentagon to make a petty and prejudicial move against the naming of a ship after Harvey Milk sullies that record," Fund continued, "And is no way to build esprit de corps in our military."
Milk's erasure from the ship is in line with previous actions by Hegseth who has been a vocal adversary to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Earlier this year, Hegseth restored original names to two military bases named after Confederate officers earlier this year. He "proudly" ended the military's Women, Peace & Security program and purged the Pentagon's website of images reflective of key DEI terms. The sweeping purge removed an article about Jackie Robinson's military service, images of the WWII Enola Gay bomber, and a page dedicated to a Black Medal of Honor recipient, among others.
Sean Parnell previously defended the removals, stating: "I think the president and the secretary have been very clear on this – that anybody that says in the Department of Defense that diversity is our strength is, frankly, incorrect."
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