Navy will rename the USNS Harvey Milk, named for LGBTQ rights pioneer

A Navy vessel named after celebrated gay rights activist and Navy veteran Harvey Milk will no longer carry his name.

A Navy vessel named after celebrated gay rights activist and Navy veteran Harvey Milk will no longer carry his name.

NBC News confirmed with the Navy that the USNS Harvey Milk, a fleet replenishment oiler, will be renamed. No reason was given.

The news comes during Pride Month, the dedicated time to acknowledge and celebrate the achievements and contributions of the LGBTQ community.

After years of devoted activism in San Francisco and across California, Milk became one of the country’s first openly gay elected officials, winning a position on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977.

Harvey Milk outside his camera shop in San Francisco in 1977.Bettmann ArchiveIn 1978, he and Mayor George Moscone were fatally shot at City Hall. His killer, Dan White, a former city supervisor, was found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to less than eight years in prison in 1979, sparking a mass protest that turned violent.