Ottawa, Canada—The below opinion piece is in regards to the Department of Defense (DoD) re-naming the U.S. Naval Ship named after American icon Harvey Milk. The following piece is offered by Jordan Barrett-Choy, a U.S. Navy veteran, Massachusetts UOCAVA voter, resident of Canada, and Member of the Democrats Abroad Global Veterans and Military Families Caucus.
While the late Harvey Milk is best known as being the first non-incumbent, openly gay public official, he was also a combat veteran who served during a time of non-LGBT acceptance within the military. Furthermore, Milk was celebrated by the Department of Veterans Affairs, honored by the Postal Service, and, incredibly, was a (posthumous) recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Background: In 2016, the then-Secretary of the Navy announced that a new line of replenishment oilers would be named after notable civil rights leaders. And in 2021, the Navy finally christened the John Lewis-class replenishment oiler, the future USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206). In 2025, the DoD Secretary ordered the current Secretary of the Navy to rename the Navy’s Harvey Milk ship as part of the Trump Administration’s shameful actions to erase all mentions of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) measures from the U.S. federal government.
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Honor. Courage. Commitment.
These are the core values of the United States Navy, and they were embodied by Harvey Milk, throughout his life and career. He honored those values as an officer in the United States Navy, as an activist, and as the first openly gay official to hold elected office in the United States. There was no such thing as a “DEI hire” when he won his election to serve on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He lived his truth in a difficult time for LGBT communities, overcoming serious adversity to break unjust barriers. Unfortunately, he was elected in a time of tragedy. 1978 was a bloody year for San Francisco, as it lost three courageous elected officials to gun violence. Harvey Milk was assassinated alongside Mayor George Moscone, just days after Congressman Leo Ryan was killed investigating the People’s Temple in Guyana. While it is often demonized by the right-wing faction, San Francisco is a tough city where trailblazers have fought for freedom in the face of death and adversity. Harvey Milk represented the best of its qualities.
In 2021, the US Navy christened the USNS Harvey Milk, honoring the legacy of a patriotic hero who served his country and community in both military and public service. It was just a small piece of recognition, addressing the injustice of Harvey Milk’s original discharge for his sexual orientation. Early in June, cruelly and deliberately timed with the beginning of Pride month, the Trump regime chose to announced that the ship would be renamed. The timing was the latest example of Secretary Hegseth’s replacement of DEI policies with his own unhinged DUI policies. Trump’s DUI hire has no qualifications to serve as Defense Secretary, with a history of disgracing his uniform and repeatedly displaying dishonorable conduct. This is the latest in his series of insults to the rule of law and the democracy that America’s service members swear to serve and defend.
This administration has made the alarmingly unconstitutional and unacceptable choice to use the military to violently crack down on free speech and dissent in Los Angeles, and likely other major cities. As veterans, service members, and military family members, we must remind our comrades about the importance of the legacies of our heroes like Harvey Milk. We need to remember that rights are hard-earned and require brave individuals to break barriers both on the streets and on the battlefield. We need to remind the Trump administration that the desire and ability to fight doesn’t disappear when the uniforms are hung up. We need to remind them that we neither fear intimidation nor tolerate tyranny. America said “no kings” at its founding, and we’ve never wavered from that decision. We will always resist any attempt to drag our country into tyranny and steal our rights. Thousands of veterans and freedom-loving Americans are and always will be ready to fight to keep our republic.
In the words of another Navy hero, the immigrant Captain John Paul Jones, “I have not yet begun to fight.” The American service members and veterans that Trump and Hegseth despise can heed those words just as well.
Sic Semper Tyrannis.
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U.S. citizens living abroad, both civilian and military, are highly encouraged to check your voter registration status and request your ballot for any upcoming elections in your home voting state that you are eligible to vote in.
The VMF Caucus, proudly consisting of veterans, military family members, and strong allies of veterans and military family causes, has a membership of approximately 1,300 members located in dozens of countries.
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