The Navy Is About To Name A Ship After LGBT Activist Harvey Milk

LGBT activist and politician Harvey Milk, who was assassinated in 1978 by by former City Supervisor Dan White, is about to be memorialized forever by the United States Navy.

The Navy has announced that it will name one of its new oil tankers after the pioneering gay rights activist who served his country as a diving officer during the Korean War. Until 2011, no member of the United States military was allowed to be openly gay and serve their country.

Reaction from the LGBT community to the announcement was ecstatic. Scott Wiener, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, who has campaigned for Milk to receive the incredibly high honor since 2012, called it “an incredible day for the LGBT community and for our country.” Wiener added:

“When Harvey Milk served in the military, he couldn’t tell anyone who he truly was. Now our country is telling the men and women who serve, and the entire world, that we honor and support people for who they are.”

The Harvey Milk Foundation posted this on their Facebook page:

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Stuart Milk, the nephew of the slain activist and co-founder of the foundation, commented that he had “joyful tears thinking of the meaning and symbolism” as a result of hearing about the Navy’s plans.

The USNS Harvey Milk has not yet been built. But it will be part of a fleet of six new ships, all of which will bear the names of other civil rights champions, including women’s rights activist and abolitionist Sojourner Truth.

This truly is a great day for our country, and for the cause of LGBT equality across the nation. We should all celebrate this announcement and what it means for telling all Americans they are welcome and accepted in this great land.

Featured Image Via YouTube Screengrab