A Navy vessel will travel the world bearing the name of gay rights icon Harvey Milk, the most prominent gesture towards the LGBT community in military history.
The U.S. Naval Institute News obtained a leaked Congressional memo from July 14, showing that Navy Secretary Ray Mabus signed plans to name a Military Sealift Command fleet oiler “the USNS Harvey Milk.”
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Navy Times reported that California Rep. Bob Filner was also instrumental in pushing Navy officials to name a ship after Milk.
Milk came from a Navy family and served as a diving officer before he became the first openly gay elected official as a member of San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors — the city’s legislative body — in 1977.
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Milk’s namesake vessel will be one of several fleet oilers in the John Lewis Class of ships — named after civil rights activist and congressman Rep. John Lewis — to be named after civil rights leaders.
Other names include Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren, whose court ruled to desegregate U.S. schools and women’s rights activist Lucy Stone and abolitionist Sojourner Truth.
Great news, and about time.
Is it bad that I'm also amused by all the stereotypes this conforms to?
Black Lives definitely Matter Lorini!
Also: There are three ways to not tell the truth: lies, damned lies, and statistics.
A Navy vessel will travel the world bearing the name of gay rights icon Harvey Milk, the most prominent gesture towards the LGBT community in military history.
The U.S. Naval Institute News obtained a leaked Congressional memo from July 14, showing that Navy Secretary Ray Mabus signed plans to name a Military Sealift Command fleet oiler “the USNS Harvey Milk.”
The United States Navy has begun construction on a ship that will be named after slain gay rights advocate and politician Harvey Milk, six decades after the service branch forced him out because of his sexual orientation.
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While serving as a diving instructor in San Diego in the 1950s, Milk was was questioned by Navy officials about his sexual orientation after he was caught at a park popular with gay men. In 1955, he was forced to resign with the rank of lieutenant junior grade.
The USNS Harvey Milk, an oiler, will refuel other ships at sea. It joins a class of oilers named after Georgia Congressman and civil rights icon Rep. John Lewis which includes vessels named after other civil rights leaders like Sojourner Truth and Robert F. Kennedy.