Navy renames USNS Harvey Milk for WWII Medal of Honor recipient Oscar V. Peterson

• Milk, one of the country's first openly gay politicians before he was assassinated in 1978, was stationed in San Diego as a dive instructor until he was forced out of the military for being gay.

Driving the news: The ship will now be named after Peterson, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism during the Battle of the Coral Sea in World War II, where he is credited with saving the lives of 123 shipmates.

• "We're renaming the ship after a United States Navy Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, as it should be," Hegseth said in his announcement.

State of play: Congressional Democrats introduced a long-shot bill this month to prevent Hegseth from renaming the ship, as well as others named after civil rights leaders.

What they're saying: Mayor Todd Gloria criticized Hegseth's decision on X Friday.

• "Renaming this ship doesn't make us safer," he said. "It sends the message that some service doesn't count. That's a dangerous message to send to an all-volunteer force.

Fun fact: In 2012, San Diego became the first city in the country to name a street after Milk, renaming Blaine Avenue in Hillcrest.