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Pentagon May Strip Names of Harvey Milk and Other Civil Rights Icons from Navy Ships

HeadlineJun 04, 2025

As June marks LGBTQ Pride Month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is planning to strip the name of legendary gay rights activist Harvey Milk from a Navy ship honoring him. Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay politicians in the United States. He was assassinated in 1978, a year after winning election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, gunned down along with San Francisco Mayor George Moscone by a former city supervisor. Hegseth is also reportedly planning to expand the purge of names to include other prominent civil rights figures such as abolitionist Sojourner Truth, Medgar Evers and labor leader Cesar Chavez. 

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