The Erasure of Harvey Milk

Stripping Milk’s Name from a Naval Ship Is a Betrayal of His Legacy

As a lifelong advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, a proud Democrat, and someone whose life has been profoundly shaped by Harvey Milk’s legacy, I am outraged by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s decision to strip the name of the USNS Harvey Milk, a Navy ship honoring a trailblazing gay rights icon and Navy veteran. This act, announced during Pride Month, is a calculated erasure of a man who stood for courage, inclusion, and equality. My personal connection to Harvey- through my friendship with his nephew Stuart Milk, my collaboration with his protégé Cleve Jones, and the honor of presenting the Harvey Milk Medal to my mother, Belinda Carlisle, in 2024- makes this decision feel like a personal attack on the values Harvey championed and the progress we’ve fought for.

My journey with Harvey Milk’s legacy began as a teenager when I watched The Times of Harvey Milk, the 1984 documentary that captured his rise from a Castro Street activist to a transformative figure in American politics. Its raw portrayal of Harvey’s courage as an openly gay man in a hostile era left me inspired and determined to live authentically. Later, Milk, the 2008 biopic starring Sean Penn, became one of my favorite films. Its depiction of Harvey’s coalition-building showed me the power of uniting diverse communities, a lesson that has guided my activism. These films weren’t just stories; they were blueprints for change.

That inspiration led me to the Harvey Milk Foundation, where I formed a deep friendship with Stuart Milk, Harvey’s nephew and a global advocate for equality. Stuart’s commitment to his uncle’s vision has been a constant source of strength for me. In May 2024, I had the profound honor of presenting the Harvey Milk Medal to my mother, Belinda Carlisle, at the Foundation’s annual Diversity Honors ceremony in Orlando, Florida. The event celebrated my mother’s decades of advocacy for LGBTQ+ rights, from her groundbreaking work as the lead singer of The Go-Go’s to her outspoken support for marriage equality and HIV/AIDS awareness. As I handed her the medal, I spoke of Harvey’s belief that “hope will never be silent,” a mantra my mother has embodied through her art and activism. Standing beside Stuart, I felt the weight of Harvey’s legacy and the responsibility to protect it. Presenting that award was a moment of pride, not just for my family but for the shared fight for equality that Harvey ignited.

Hegseth’s decision to rename the USNS Harvey Milk is a direct assault on that legacy. Harvey, a Navy veteran who served during the Korean War, faced discrimination yet served with honor. He carried that same resilience into his political career, becoming the first openly gay elected official in California and a symbol of hope for millions. The naming of the USNS Harvey Milk in 2016 was a historic milestone- the first Navy ship named for an openly gay person. As Stuart Milk said, “His legacy has stood as a proud and bright light for the men and women who serve in our nation’s military.” To erase his name is to dismiss the contributions of every LGBTQ+ service member who has fought for the right to serve openly.

This decision also hits close to home because of my work with Cleve Jones, Harvey’s protégé and a mentor to me. In 2014, Cleve and I joined forces in the global boycott of the Dorchester Collection hotels, including the Beverly Hills Hotel, owned by the Sultan of Brunei. When the Sultan announced plans to implement Sharia law, including brutal punishments for homosexuality, we mobilized alongside figures like George Clooney, Ellen DeGeneres, and Elton John. Our boycott, which cost the Dorchester Collection hundreds of millions, led to a significant victory in 2019 when Brunei announced a moratorium on Sharia law’s implementation- a major step forward, though we continue to push for its full repeal. Working with Cleve, who learned the skills of effective activism from Harvey, showed me the power of collective action, the same power Harvey used to transform San Francisco.

Hegseth’s claim that renaming the ship aligns with “the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities” and a “warrior ethos” is an insult to Harvey’s memory. Harvey was a warrior- both in the Navy and in the fight for justice. He built coalitions across race, class, and orientation, as depicted in Milk, and paid the ultimate price when he was assassinated in 1978. To suggest his name doesn’t fit a military ethos is to ignore the courage it took to live openly in a time of rampant bigotry.

The timing of this decision, during Pride Month, is a deliberate provocation. Pride celebrates trailblazers like Harvey. Stripping his name from the USNS Harvey Milk is part of a broader attack on inclusion, from banning Pride recognitions to removing books on race and gender from military academies. As a pragmatic, progressive Democrat, I believe in finding common ground, but there is no compromise when it comes to honoring those who fought for justice. Harvey’s legacy, carried forward by Stuart, Cleve, and the Foundation, is one of hope and defiance.

I call on Secretary Hegseth to reverse this decision and restore Harvey Milk’s name to the USNS Harvey Milk. Let us honor a man who served his country in uniform and in public office, whose story inspired me through The Times of Harvey Milk and Milk, and whose spirit I felt when presenting the Harvey Milk Medal to my mother. Harvey’s name on that ship is a symbol of America’s commitment to equality. Let’s ensure it remains, as he said, a beacon of hope that will never be silent.