Navy names ship after gay rights advocate Harvey Milk
ASSOCIATED PRESS
In this April 1977 file photo, San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk sits in the mayor’s office during the signing of the city’s gay rights bill in San Francisco.
WASHINGTON » The Navy is naming a ship in honor of the late gay rights leader Harvey Milk, who served in the Navy for four years before he began a career in San Francisco city government.
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said Tuesday that Milk displayed tremendous courage fighting for the rights of the LGBT community. The ship is one of a new fleet of replenishment oilers that will be built in San Diego.
Milk’s career as a Navy officer, however, ended with an “other than honorable” discharge, due to allegations of fraternization with enlisted personnel.
Some argue that Milk was forced out of the military because he was gay. A defense official said Tuesday that Milk accepted the other than honorable discharge to avoid possible disciplinary action.
Fraternization with enlisted personnel by an officer is against military regulations — whether they are the same or different genders. The official was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly, and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The ban on gays serving openly in the U.S. military was formally ended in September 2011.
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Milk became one of the first openly gay candidates elected to public office. He was serving on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978 when a former political colleague, Dan White, assassinated him and Mayor George Moscone at City Hall.
Mabus said Milk “offered hope for millions of Americans who were being ostracized and prosecuted just for who they loved.”
Speaking in San Francisco during the announcement, Mabus said it was important to honor those like Milk who have fought in a different way, battling — and sometimes dying — for freedom and equality.
Chad Griffin, the president of the advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign, lauded the Navy honor for Milk, calling it “further evidence of the profound progress on LGBTQ equality we continue to make as a nation.”
“In his bold and unabashed advocacy, Milk inspired LGBTQ people for generations,” Griffin said in a statement.
Five other replenishment oilers will bear the names of civil and human rights leaders: Sojourner Truth, Chief Justice Earl Warren, Robert F. Kennedy, suffragist Lucy Stone and Rep. John Lewis of Georgia.
16 responses to “Navy names ship after gay rights advocate Harvey Milk”
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“Other than honorable discharge!!” You have to do something really bad to get that verdict–particular being an officer!! This Administration is really pulling us down in so many different areas–aren’t there some Medal of Honor or war heroes that would deserve this honor???? We are the laughing stock of the world’s military!!! Will pink GI shorts be the next issue??
Pinocchio ODUMBO owns this!!!
lol, who is laughing at our military? Is Bin Laden laughing? You know the person who GW said he would not rest until he is gotten dead or alive but 6 months later said he couldn’t be bothered?
lol Boots…stay on topic please…never mind I luv the laughs!!
Countless thousands of more deserving Sailors who received HONORABLE DISCHARGES were merely forgotten or just ignored!!!
Corruption, agreed and when the Navy christened a ship named Gabbie Gifford–I thought the same thing. Other then getting shop in the head, what did she ever do to deserve that honor? Name anti-gun legislature after her, okay, but a ship with guns and armament???
Should be “shot” in the head.
From the Navy’s press release:
Rep. Giffords’ name had become “synonymous with courage” and that the congresswoman had “inspired the nation with remarkable resiliency.” The secretary also called the naming a tribute to Navy families, stating that Giffords was a “Navy spouse” who made efforts to support the Navy during her time in Congress.
Make today different. Learn something.
Is this worthy news? No, unless you pushing the ballots your way in the upcoming elections. It’s sad when you put people in high places as a voter and they turn around and take care of their party’s agendas before addressing the real problems in this country. It’s time for this country to clean house in Washington and address the real problems in this country instead of their life styles for the enemy is lurking within. It happen in southern Oregon, southern Cali and Florida and probably a neighborhood near you could be next.
Yes, be afraid! Be very afraid!
What has happened to Republicans to make them such loathsome cowards? This kind of despicable fear and cowardice is exactly what Bin Laden predicted.
Americans who are this fearful should be ashamed of themselves.
This ship will henceforth be known as the “Fairy Boat.”
New terminology of warships being serviced by the oiler, USS Milk, will be know as a blowj##.
And in walks the genius.
Will this new ship still fly the American flag?
Awesome!!! Let’s just forget ALL about his being kicked out for trying to hit on enlisted sailors, and let’s ALSO just ignore the fact that he was a well-known pedophile, who had a taste for underage boys. YES! These are the people we need to honor in our Military!!! Go Odummy!!!
Mr. Milk was constantly harassed and ridiculed and then murdered for refusing to hide who he was.
Just look at comments on here today about this. Adults in the year 2016 using the word “fairy.” How does it feel to be stuck in the ignorance of the 1960s? Good grief … can’t any of you grow up?
Pathetic, loser, Trump supporters. It figures.