US Navy Says Homosexuality Represents US and Navy Values
The US Navy recently launched the USNS Harvey Milk. Milk was famous for being dishonorably discharged from the Navy for his homosexuality. He was also an elected official in San Francisco when he was killed by a political acquaintance in 1978.
The Navy said
The ship honors Navy veteran and LGBT activist Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay candidates elected to public office… USNS Harvey Milk is the first ship named for an openly gay person.
Thus, the US Navy clearly and emphatically said ship was named for Milk because he was gay.
Importantly, at the launch, President Biden’s Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said [emphasis added]
Ship names are important because they express what we value as a Navy and as a nation and communicate those values around the globe in every port of call…
The decision to name the ship after Milk began nearly 10 years ago, and was ultimately made by then-President Obama’s Navy Secretary Ray Mabus (who also attended the launch). At the time, Mabus was apparently trying to make a connection between gay “heroism” and the Medal of Honor.
There are already too many bad jokes about what Sailors do at sea and Read more