The U.S. Navy ship named after gay rights leader Harvey Milk was launched in San Diego Bay

The U.S. Navy has launched a new ship named after gay rights leader Harvey Milk.

Milk was the first publicly gay official elected in California in the 1970s, and was forced to withdraw from the Navy two decades ago because of his sexual orientation.

The USS Harvey Milk was launched in San Diego Bay on November 6, and the Navy released the launch footage two days later.

The launch video of the “Milk” was delivered by the Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.

“This great ship pays tribute to Navy diver and civil rights activist Harvey Milk, who was forced to retire due to unfair policies,” Del Toro said. “Because of him, today our LGBTQ sailors and Marines serve them honorably.

“Leaders like Harvey Milk tells us that the diversity of backgrounds and experiences contributes to the strength and determination of our country.

“There is no doubt that the future sailors on this ship will be inspired by Milk’s life and legacy.”

More than two decades after ending his naval career, Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, becoming the first openly gay elected official in California. Milk was assassinated by Dan White on November 27, 1978, and he also killed San Francisco Mayor George Moscone. White was convicted of manslaughter and spent five years in prison before committing suicide.

Milk’s life was moved to the big screen in 2008, and Sean Penn appeared in “milk. “This film won two Oscars: Penn’s Best Actor Performance Award and Dustin Lance Black’s Best Original Screenplay Award.

The ship named after milk is Oil supplyIn the video, it was shown that a bottle of champagne was smashed into the water by Paula M. Neira, a former naval officer, the clinical program director of the Johns Hopkins Transgender Health Center.

According to the U.S. Navy, milk is one of six types John LewisThe class tanker was commissioned in 2016, and then Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus decided that the new tanker would be named after the leader of civil rights and human rights. The first ship of this class is named after Georgia’s civil rights champion Rep. John Lewis. The remaining ships in service that year were named after American abolitionist and women’s rights activist Sojourner Truth, former Chief Justice Earl Warren, former US Attorney General Robert Kennedy, and feminist Lucy Stone.

The “Milk” will serve as part of the Navy’s combat logistics force. After initially ordering 6 ships of this type in 2016, the Navy now plans to purchase 20 ships of the new class.

This story is provided by Newsweek Zenger News.