The USNS Harvey Milk departs a shipyard in San Diego. Photo: Ariana Drehsler/ AFP via Getty Images
"The removal of Harvey Milk's name from a naval vessel ā during Pride Month, no less ā is absolutely shameful. Harvey Milk was a hero." ā State Sen. Scott Wiener on the renaming of USNS Harvey Milk
State Sen. Scott Wiener, who is gay, rebuked the Trump administration this week for renaming a ship that pays homage to Harvey Milk, a former Navy veteran and one of the country's first openly gay politicians who was assassinated in 1978.
Driving the news: Though name changes are rare, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the oiler ship USNS Harvey Milk to be stripped of its title in an effort to reestablish what he calls a "warrior culture," an ethos rooted in warfighting and anti-wokeness.
The move, characterized as a deliberate affront to the LGBTQ+ community, also received backlash from Sen. Alex Padilla.
