Navy to name ship after gay rights icon

[kscarbel2]

The Guardian  /  July 28, 2016

The United States navy will name a ship after gay rights icon Harvey Milk, the first openly gay elected official in California, according to a report by US Naval Institute (USNI) News.

LGBT activists in San Diego and San Francisco had campaigned for the navy to honor Milk and other LGBT individuals who have served in the armed forces despite being officially banned until 2011.

Milk served as a diving officer from 1951 to 1955. He was honorably discharged with the rank of lieutenant junior grade.

“When Harvey Milk served in the military, he couldn’t tell anyone who he truly was,” said San Francisco supervisor Scott Wiener, who authored a resolution asking the navy to name a ship after Milk in 2012.

“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.”

Other ships in the John Lewis-class of fleet oilers will be named after former supreme court chief justice Earl Warren, Robert F Kennedy, women’s rights activist Lucy Stone, and Sojourner Truth. The John Lewis class is named for civil rights legend and congressman John Lewis of Georgia.

Milk moved to San Francisco in 1972, where he lived in the Castro district, owned a camera shop, and advocated for the rights of LGBT people in the growing gay neighborhood.

In 1977, he won his election to the San Francisco board of supervisors, becoming the first openly gay elected official in California.

One year later, Milk was killed in San Francisco city hall by a former supervisor who also killed the mayor, George Moscone.

“Hope is never silent and will be represented in a world port soon via the USNS Harvey Milk,” read a post on the Facebook page of the Harvey Milk Foundation, reacting to the announcement.

The push to have Milk honored with a naval ship sparked controversy in San Francisco’s LGBT community in 2012, with some critics citing his opposition to the Vietnam war to argue that he would be better memorialized in other ways.

“When I saw the news, what went through my mind is a line from a Leonard Cohen song: ‘I finally broke into the prison, I took my place in the chain’,” said Cleve Jones, an LGBT and labor rights activist who was mentored by Milk.

Milk was part of a movement that was “strongly rooted in anti-militarism”, Jones said, so the honor comes with “a bit of irony”.

“I came of age when straight men pretended to be gay to get out of the army,” he said.

Still, he joked, “I think if Harvey were alive he would be making jokes about providing oil for sailors.”

[kscarbel2]

I have nothing against the man. But why is the U.S. Navy abandoning the United States ship naming conventions, a ship naming policy by executive order of President Theodore Roosevelt in 1907 ???

Teddy Roosevelt’s executive order dictates that fleet oilers be named for rivers with Native American names (For a time, fleet oilers were named for shipbuilders and marine and aeronautical engineers).

I don’t recall the American people approving a policy change.

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Traditional conventions

• Battleships (BB), by law, were named for states, except for USS Kearsarge (BB-5).
• Battlecruisers (CC) under the 1916 program were to receive names of battles or famous ships. When cancelled under the Washington Naval Treaty, two were converted to aircraft carriers (CV), and this became the standard for them, with the exception of USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42), USS Wright (CVL-49), USS Forrestal (CVA-59), and USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63); some had names evoking flight (e.g., Wasp, Hornet).^[2][3]
• "Battlecruisers" or Large Cruisers (CB) under the 1940 program were named for United States Territories.
• Cruisers, both light and heavy (CL and CA), were named for cities in the United States and Territories, with the exception of USS Canberra (CA-70).
  • After the first nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser, USS Long Beach (CGN-9),^[4] CGN's of the California and Virginia classes were named for states. (USS Bainbridge and USS Truxtun were commissioned as frigates).
• Destroyers (DD) and destroyer escorts (DE) were named for Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard heroes.
  • Destroyer Leaders (DL) were likewise named after naval heroes; these were reclassified as cruisers or destroyers in 1975.
  • Frigates (FF), formerly ocean escorts, were also named for naval heroes.
• Submarines (SS and SSN) were either given a class letter and number, as in S-class submarines, or the names of fish and marine mammals.
• Oilers (AO and AOR) were named for rivers with Native American names, and colliers named for mythical figures.
• Fast combat support ships (AOE) were named after US cities.
• Ammunition ships (AE) were named either after volcanoes (e.g. Mauna Loa) or words relating to fire and explosions (e.g. Nitro and Pyro).
• Combat stores ships (AK, AF, and AFS) were named after stars and other heavenly bodies.
• Minesweepers (MS) were named for birds, or after "positive traits," e.g. Admirable and Dextrous.
• Hospital ships (AH) were given names related to their function, such as Comfort and Mercy.
• Fleet tugs (AT) and harbor tugs (YT) were named after American Indian tribes.
• The first forty-one nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) (called "boomers") were named after historical statesmen considered "Great Americans."

Contemporary ship naming conventions

• Aircraft carriers (CV and CVN), have a history various legacy names, mostly battles, until 1968, with the commissioning of USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67). Since then, carriers have been named for American presidents, with the exception of;
  • USS Nimitz (CVN-68), lead ship of her class, named for Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander of all U.S. and Allied naval forces in the Pacific theatre during World War II.
  • USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), named for a former Congressman, Chairman of the Naval Affairs Committee, Chairman of the successor United States House Committee on Armed Services, a strong supporter of the Navy through the "Vinson Acts" who became known as "The Father of the Two-Ocean Navy".
  • USS John C. Stennis, named for a former United States Senator, President pro tempore of the Senate, Chairman of the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services, and a strong supporter of the navy, who became known as "Father of America's modern navy".
  • USS Enterprise, there is also a continuing exception for this name, first used in 1775, eight ships have carried the name, three of them aircraft carriers (see CV-6 , CVN-65 and CVN-80).
• Amphibious assault ships (LPH, LHA, and LHD) are named after early American sailing ships, U.S. Marine Corps battles, or legacy names of earlier carriers from World War II.
• Amphibious command ships (LCC) are named for geographical areas within the U.S. (eg: mountain/ mountain range)
• Amphibious transport docks (LPD) are named after U.S. cities, with the exception of;
  • USS John P. Murtha (LPD-26), named for a former U.S. Marine Corps Officer, Vietnam veteran, former Congressman and chairman of the United States House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
  • USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19), named after Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado.
• Ballistic missile submarines (SSBN and SSGN) are named after states, except for USS Henry M. Jackson (SSBN-730), named for a former U.S. Senator and strong supporter of the military.
• Cruisers (CG) are named after battles, with the exception of USS Thomas S. Gates (CG-51), a Ticonderoga-class cruiser named for a former Secretary of Defense.
• Destroyers (DDG) names are dependent on class;

• Arleigh Burke class - a class with a planned 76 ships that has retained the traditional naming convention of U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard heroes, with the exceptions of;
  • USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81) named for the renowned Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II,
  • USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117), named for a former Secretary of the Navy and
  • USS Delbert Black (DDG-119), named for the first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.
  • USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120), named for a former U.S. Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.
• Zumwalt class - (only 3 ships in class);
  • Lead ship USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000), named for the youngest Admiral to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, and who played a significant role during the Vietnam War,
  • 2nd ship USS Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001), named for a former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient killed in action during the Iraq War,
  • 3rd ship USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG-1002), named for a former U.S. president and U.S. Naval officer who was awarded the Silver Star during World War II.

• Dock landing ships (LSD) are named after cities or important places in U.S. and U.S. Naval history.
• Dry cargo ships (T-AKE) are named for American explorers, pioneers, activists and U.S. Naval officers.
• Fast attack submarines (SSN) names are dependent on class;

• Los Angeles class - named after cities, with the exception of USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-709), named for an Admiral who was a pioneer of the nuclear Navy.
• Seawolf class - (only 3 boats in class);
  • Lead boat USS Seawolf (SSN-21), named for the Atlantic wolffish, and the fourth submarine to carry the name,
  • 2nd boat USS Connecticut (SSN-22) named for a U.S. state,
  • 3rd boat USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23), named for a former U.S. president, and Naval officer who had served aboard a nuclear submarine.
• Virginia class, named after U.S. states, with the exception of;
  • USS John Warner (SSN-785), named for a former Secretary of the Navy, U.S. Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services.
  • USS Hyman G. Rickover (SSN-795), named for an Admiral and pioneer of the nuclear Navy. This is the second boat to carry the name (see SSN-709).

• Fast combat support ships (AOE) are named for distinguished supply ships of the past.
• Frigates (FFG) retain their traditional naming conventions after U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Coast Guard heroes.
• Littoral combat ships (LCS) are named for regionally-important U.S. cities and communities.^[5] Exceptions are the lead ships of the first two classes for this type;
  • USS Freedom (LCS-1), lead ship of her class, named for the concept of freedom and,
  • USS Independence (LCS-2), lead ship of her class, named for the concept of independence. Another exception among the Independence-class is;

• USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10), named for a former Congresswoman, member of the United States House Committee on Armed Services and survivor of an assassination attempt.

• Mine countermeasures ships (MCM) have mostly legacy names of previous U.S. Navy ships, especially WWII-era minesweepers.
• Patrol boats (PC) have names based on weather phenomena.
• Replenishment oilers (T-AO) were named for shipbuilders and marine and aeronautical engineers, but have returned to the older convention of river names.

[mowerman]

Oh there's a surprise...I'm sure it was another brainstorm from Obama or the all mighty Hillary,,,neither one knows jack about the military or much less gives a damn..as well as either one knows anything about earning anything.....they have both been sucking the system for years,,,and giving absolutely nothing back.....when they started welcoming gay scout leaders ...i thought,,,,ya....anythings next i guess....what a country....like wow man...there's no such thing these days for most in earning respect,rank,or rewards ....just hand out all three to whatever misfit is too inferior to deserve it.......bob

[Dirtymilkman]

Did you hear about the gay whale? ............He swallowed all the seamen off the ship. 

[Mike]

I been wondering when it would happen. "THE GOOD SHIP LOLLYPOP"

[hatcity]

FABULOUS!!!!!

[gearhead204]

tooo soon for the            "Port hole plugger"

[HeavyGunner]

The Super Schooner

[j hancock]

The Elton John amphibious assault ship......?