US Navy to rename ship honouring gay rights leader and veteran Harvey Milk1 day ago Share Save Nadine Yousif BBC News Share SaveGetty Images Harvey Milk was the first openly gay man elected to public office in CaliforniaThe US Navy plans to remove the name of gay rights leader and Navy veteran Harvey Milk from one of its ships, and may change the titles of other vessels honouring civil rights leaders. The plans were outlined in documents obtained by BBC's US partner CBS News that show a timeline for when the renaming of USNS Harvey Milk would be shared with the public. Harvey Milk is known for being the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The push to rename the USNS Harvey Milk comes after a directive issued by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year instructing US military personnel to stop hosting events tied to heritage or awareness months. Reuters USNS Harvey Milk in 2024