US warship: renaming causes a violent debate about Harvey Milk!

US warship: renaming causes a violent debate about Harvey Milk!

In the past few weeks, a new proposal in the US struts has made headlines: a warship that was named after the famous LGBTQ+activist Harvey Milk is to be renamed. The discussion about the renaming pursues a broader trend in which other ships, which are named according to civil rights activists, are affected. The project encounters massive criticism. Nancy Pelosi, the former chairwoman of the House of Representatives, described the plans as "malicious", "shameful" and "vengeful", which further heats up the vehement demands for the rights of LGBTQ persons.

Harvey Milk, who is the first openly gay politician in the United States, was elected to the San Francisco city council in 1977. This happened at a time when the rights of homosexuals were severely restricted. His choice was a significant victory over anti-gay stereotypes and culminated in the defeat of a nationwide proposal, which should significantly restrict the employment rights of gays. Milk not only mobilized the gay community in San Francisco, but also spoke out against discriminatory laws, such as the Briggs initiative, who wanted to ban gay teaching in schools and was rejected with over a million votes in 1978. He was an ambassador for non-violence and was committed to equality of the LGBTQ+community.

The legacy of Harvey Milk

Harvey Milk did not escape many of the challenges that were accompanied by his visibility. Despite his efforts and public struggle for equality, he was murdered by Dan White, a former city council, on November 27, 1978. However, his legacy continues to live, not only in the honor that was posthumously proved to him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, but also through the constant work of the Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy in San Francisco, which promotes his values ​​of tolerance and non -violence.

Inspired by his life, the biographical film "Milk" was published in 2008, in which Sean Penn plays the role of Harvey Milk. The film received several Oscar nominations and won the Oscar for the best script. Milk, who served as a diving officer in the Navy in the Korean War, was disagreement due to his sexual orientation, which underlines the unequal treatment of LGBTQ military members and boosted the debate about equality in the military.

Current developments and political reactions

The current discourse on the renaming of the ship reflects broader social tensions. Hegseth, a military strategist, has asked in a strategy paper that measures to promote diversity should be classified as "incompatible with the values" of the Pentagon. These views, which also promise a radical departure from existing guidelines, have many critics, including Pelosi, listen to the arena of a growing debate about the acceptance and representation of LGBTQ people in society and in the military.

It remains unclear what the new name of the warship will be. However, the discussion clearly shows that the argument about the rights of LGBTQ people, led by historical figures such as Harvey Milk, is still of great importance. The developments of the coming days will be crucial for further discussion about equality and recognition in US politics.

For more comprehensive information about Harvey Milk and the LGBTQ+movement in the USA, visit the following pages: US message , and Spiegel .