USS Harvey Milk Resolution Approved By SF Supervisors
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - San Francisco's Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday in favor of a resolution to name a Navy ship in honor of murdered San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, among the nation's first openly gay elected officials.
The resolution, which has drawn criticism from both sides of the political spectrum, passed by a 9-2 vote.
Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by a former supervisor Dan White in 1978. Milk reached the level of lieutenant as a Navy diver during the Korean War era.
Opponents of the proposal have said Milk held many anti-war beliefs and was an outspoken opponent of the Vietnam War during his political career.
The Secretary of the Navy typically makes naming decision for Navy ships. Secretary Ray Mabus has yet to weigh in on the USS Harvey Milk but has honored individuals who have distinguished themselves in non-military fields, including former congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, labor leader Cesar Chavez and civil rights activist Medgar Evers.
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