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In a move igniting fierce debate, the U.S. Navy is preparing to rename the USNS Harvey Milk, a fleet replenishment oiler named after the assassinated gay rights leader and Navy veteran. The decision, revealed through internal Navy documents obtained by CBS News, is part of a broader review that could affect several ships named for civil rights icons and historical figures known for championing equity and inclusion.
The USNS Harvey Milk, christened in 2021, was seen as a milestone in LGBTQ+ representation in the armed forces. The ship is part of the John Lewis-class of oilers, named after the late congressman and civil rights hero. Other ships reportedly under review for potential renaming include the USNS Thurgood Marshall, USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, USNS Harriet Tubman, and USNS Cesar Chavez, among others.
Documents reviewed by CBS reveal that the renaming is being framed as an effort to “reestablish the warrior culture” of the U.S. military under the directive of recently confirmed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a Trump appointee. The renaming proposal surfaced during Pride Month, a symbolic period that commemorates the LGBTQ+ rights movement and the 1969 Stonewall uprising.
Top Democrats have strongly condemned the effort. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the move “shameful” and accused the Trump administration of erasing history. “Our military is the most powerful in the world – but this spiteful move does not strengthen our national security… it is a surrender of a fundamental American value,” Pelosi said. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer posted on social media that Hegseth “should be ashamed of himself and reverse this immediately.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries added that the decision was “an utter abomination,” accusing the Trump administration of attempting to erase hard-fought American progress.
The potential changes reflect a dramatic cultural shift within the Department of Defense. In one of his first acts, Hegseth banned Pentagon-sanctioned events tied to heritage or awareness months — including Black History Month, Women’s History Month, and Pride Month — arguing that such observances undermine military unity. The policy, labeled “Identity Months Dead at DoD,” has drawn widespread criticism from advocacy groups and lawmakers.
Harvey Milk, a former Navy officer, was discharged in 1954 under an “Other Than Honorable” designation due to his sexual orientation. His nephew, Stuart Milk, declined a later offer to upgrade the discharge as a way to preserve historical truth. The naming of the ship in Milk’s honor was considered a form of posthumous recognition and symbolic reconciliation.
The Navy has rarely renamed ships after commissioning. However, under Hegseth’s direction, the Trump administration has already reversed two base name changes that were initially carried out by a congressionally mandated commission to remove Confederate references. Fort Liberty reverted to Fort Bragg, and Fort Moore returned to Fort Benning — each with different historical justifications tied to non-Confederate figures bearing the same names.
The White House has declined to comment, but Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell defended the initiative, stating that the Secretary of Defense is committed to ensuring that “the names attached to all DOD installations and assets reflect the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities and the warrior ethos.”
If approved, the USNS Harvey Milk renaming would become one of the most symbolically charged name changes in recent military history — and a powerful flashpoint in the national conversation around identity, remembrance, and the future direction of America’s armed forces.
