The U.S. Navy will rename an oil tanker that had been named after slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk, U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday, the military's latest move under Defense Secretary
The U.S. Navy will rename an oil tanker that had been named after slain gay rights activist Harvey Milk, U.S. officials told Reuters on Tuesday, the military's latest move under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to root out diversity, equity and inclusion.
In 2016, the U.S. Navy said it would name one of its new class of oil tankers after Milk, a Navy veteran who later became one of the first openly gay people elected to public office in the U.S.
The USNS Harvey Milk was christened in 2021, as part of the John Lewis class of tankers.
A U.S. official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the directive for the change came from Hegseth's office.
The official said it was unclear when the renaming would actually take place, but noted that June is Pride Month, observed annually to honor the LGBTQ rights movement.
Another official said it would not be surprising if additional ships in the John Lewis class were renamed, since other tankers honored civil rights and human rights leaders.
In a statement, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Hegseth was committed to ensuring names of military installations and equipment "are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, our nation’s history,
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