Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename an oiler ship that the Obama administration had named after a gay rights activist, Military.com <a href="https://www.military.com/daily-news/2025/06/03/hegseth-orders-navy-strip-name-of-gay-rights-icon-harvey-milk-ship.html" id="">reported</a> Tuesday.&nbsp;In August 2016, then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus named a ship after Harvey Milk, a Navy veteran of the Korean War who became a gay rights icon in the 1970s. The first openly gay man elected to public office in California, Milk has been <a href="https://www.afa.net/the-stand/culture/2016/08/navy-set-to-honor-homosexual-predator/" id="">described</a> as a “homosexual predator” for having an intimate relationship with 16-year-old Jack Galen McKinley when Milk was 33. Milk was assassinated in 1978.On Tuesday, Military.com said it had reviewed a memo from the Office of the Secretary of the Navy that featured plans to rename the USNS Harvey Milk in "alignment with president and SECDEF objectives and SECNAV priorities of reestablishing the warrior culture.” A Department of Defense official reportedly told the news site that Secretary Hegseth ordered Navy Secretary John Phelan to rename the ship. The official also said the renaming was intentionally set to be announced on June 13th, in the middle of what gender activists have institutionalized as “Pride month.”&nbsp;The USNS Harvey Milk is one of several John Lewis-class oilers, which are ships named after civil rights icons. The Navy is also considering renaming other John Lewis-class oilers such as the USNS Harriet Tubman, the USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the USNS Thurgood Marshall.<h2 id="">Democrat fury</h2>The news infuriated Democrat leaders.“Erasing Harvey Milk’s name is disgusting, blatant discrimination—and during Pride Month to boot,” said Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “He served the U.S. Navy and his country honorably, and he was assassinated while serving the public and fighting for LGBTQ+ rights. Hegseth should be ashamed of himself and reverse this immediately.”Former House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) also registered her outrage in a <a href="https://pelosi.house.gov/news/press-releases/pelosi-statement-reported-navy-decision-rename-usns-harvey-milk" id="">statement</a>.“The reported decision by the Trump Administration to change the names of the USNS Harvey Milk and other ships in the John Lewis-class is a shameful, vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American Dream,” she said. “Our military is the most powerful in the world – but this spiteful move does not strengthen our national security or the ‘warrior’ ethos. Instead, it is a surrender of a fundamental American value: to honor the legacy of those who worked to build a better country.“As the rest of us are celebrating the joy of Pride Month, it is my hope that the Navy will reconsider this egregious decision and continue to recognize the extraordinary contributions of Harvey Milk, a Veteran himself, and all Americans who forged historic progress for our nation.”Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell did not confirm the renaming, which is reportedly set to be announced next week. “Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, our nation’s history, and the warrior ethos,” Parnell said in a statement Tuesday. “Any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete.”‍

Defense secretary orders Navy to rename ship named after gay rights activist accused of being a predator

The decision to announce the renaming was intentionally scheduled for 'Pride Month'

Texas lawmakers voted to mandate that government schools display a copy of the Ten Commandments for students, sparking praise from many Jews, Christians, and advocates of transcendent moral truth but howls of rage and threats of lawsuits from leftists, secularists, and pagans.The bill, known as SB 10, was adopted by an overwhelming margin this week, with 82 in favor and 46 against. Democrats sought to add amendments forcing the including of texts from Islamic and pagan traditions, but those efforts fell short in the GOP-controlled legislature.“Nothing is more deep-rooted in the fabric of our American tradition of education than the Ten Commandments,” explained Texas Representative Candy Noble (R-Lucas), who sponsored the legislation in the Texas House. “The very way we treat others in our society come from the principles found in the Ten Commandments.”Rep. Noble also cited some of the moral principles enshrined in the decalogue and called for a restoration of those timeless principles. “In these days of courtroom mayhem, it’s time to return to the truths, to the fabric of our educational system,” she said. “Respect authority. Respect others. Don’t steal. Tell the truth. Don’t kill. Keep your word.”On the Senate side, bill sponsor Texas Senator Phil King pointed out that the 10 Commandments were not just a religious mandate, but a critical part of U.S. history. “The Ten Commandments are part of our Texas and American story,” Senator King explained. And indeed, as the image of Moses on the U.S. Supreme Court attests to that truth.Executive branch officials were enthusiastic about the legislation, too. Texas Governor Greg Abbott urged lawmakers to pass the bill and promised to sign the bill when it got to his desk. “Let’s get this bill to my desk,” he said before it was passed on May 25. “I’ll make it law.” Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, an outspoken Christian, celebrated the move as well. “By placing the Ten Commandments in our public-school classrooms, we ensure our students receive the same foundational moral compass as our state and country’s forefathers,” he said, highlighting the divine commandments’ foundational role.Democrats, by contrast, were furious over the legislation. Representative Vikki Goodwin, a far-left Democrat from Austin, argued that the commandments teaching children not to lie, steal, murder, commit adultery, covet, or worship idols was somehow “trampling over the freedom of religion.”Meanwhile, State Representative Vincent Perez, an El Paso Democrat, claimed “posting religious texts without context doesn’t teach history.” Instead, he said, “it risks promoting one religion over others, something our Constitution forbids.”Of course, neither the U.S. Constitution nor the Texas Constitution forbid the Ten Commandments. The commandments were not expelled from government schools until the 1980s. In reality, both constitutions were literally based on the Ten Commandments and the Bible.As then-Harvard President Samuel Langdon explained to New Hampshire lawmakers in 1788 while encouraging them to ratify the U.S. Constitution, <a href="https://www.consource.org/document/the-republic-of-the-israelites-an-example-to-the-american-states-by-samuel-langdon-1788-6-5/" id="">the document and the government it established are literally based on the Bible</a>. This was common knowledge for centuries in America until a deliberate campaign to hide the truth.Another leftist lawmakers, Texas Representative and former government school teacher James Talarico (D-Austin), acknowledged that there is indeed “a spiritual crisis in our world that must be addressed.” However, he said, “this bill is not the way to address it.” “The separation of church and state doesn’t just protect the state,” he said. “It also protects the church.”It was not immediately clear how teaching children eternal moral truths from their Creator would threaten the church or the state. That language came from a letter by Thomas Jefferson to a Baptist association and was a promise that the federal government would not seek to interfere in their religious affairs, even though many states at that time had established churches.Other opponents of the measure argued that government schools should not be teaching moral truths. Texas State Teachers Association spokesman Clay Robison, for instance, was quoted in media reports arguing that “public schools are not supposed to be Sunday school.”Ironically, one of the close allies of John Dewey, widely regarded as the founding father of America’s government “education” system, understood that as well. Charles Potter, a co-signer of Dewey’s “Humanist Manifesto,” boasted in his book “Humanism, a New Religion:” “What can theistic Sunday School, meeting for an hour once a week, do to stem the tide of a five day program of humanistic teaching?”The religious humanism outlined by Dewey, Potter, and others represents a dangerous false religion based on faith that there is no God. It is completely incompatible not just with Christianity, but with the “self-evident truths” enshrined in the Declaration of Independence regarding rights from the Creator — and therefore, with American values.And yet, as Justice Potter Stewart explained in his famous dissent when the high court was expelling the Bible and prayer from government schools, this false religion has now been established. “Refusal to permit religious exercises thus is seen, not as the realization of state neutrality, but rather as the establishment of a religion of secularism,” he wrote.A coalition of anti-Christian groups including the Communist Party-inspired ACLU, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, and the Freedom From Religion Foundation already announced that they will be challenging the measure. The state, rather than local schools, will pay for the legal battle, according to an amendment to the bill. Lawmakers know they are on solid ground. “For 200 years, the Ten Commandments were displayed in public buildings and classrooms across America,” noted sponsor Texas Senator King. “The Court has … provided a test that considers whether a governmental display of religious content comports with America’s history and tradition. It is time for Texas to … restore the history and tradition of the Ten Commandments in our state and our nation.”The historic Texas legislation re-introducing God’s laws in school follows other states including Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and beyond that are bringing God, the Bible, and the Ten Commandments back into education. At least some of the challenges are expected to go to the U.S. Supreme, where advocates hope to finally reverse the disastrous 1980 ruling against the Decalogue.In that case, far-left Justice William Brennan made an astounding argument. “Posting of religious texts on the wall serves no such educational function,” he said. “If the posted copies of the Ten Commandments are to have any effect at all, it will be to induce the schoolchildren to read, meditate upon, perhaps to venerate and obey, the Commandments.”The law is set to go into force on September 1.<figure id="" class="w-richtext-figure-type-image " data-rt-type="image" data-rt-align=""><div id=""><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/66450044188dfe741d77c31e/675760085727de303fda4239_3364780_1225x377_2500-1024x315.jpeg" alt="" width="auto" height="auto" loading="auto" id=""></div></figure>While restoring the Ten Commandments’ central role in education is a positive development for Texas, it does not remedy the systemic problems with government schools. In fact, the whole system is unbiblical and socialistic in nature. More and more scholars are now arguing that the system itself is unconstitutional, too.It is time for lawmakers to think bigger! America’s future depends on getting this right.‍<a href="https://libertysentinel.org/author/admin/" id="">Alex Newman</a> is an award-winning international journalist, educator, author, and consultant who co-wrote the book “Crimes of the Educators: How Utopians Are Using Government Schools to Destroy America’s Children.” He writes for diverse publications in the United States and abroad. Originally published at <a href="https://libertysentinel.org/texas-mandates-10-commandments-in-classrooms/" id="">Liberty Sentinel.</a>

Texas Mandates 10 Commandments in Classrooms

'Refusal to permit religious exercises is not the realization of state neutrality but the establishment of religion of secularism'

The city council of Missoula, Montana voted 9-2 on Monday to adopt the LGBT rainbow flag as the city’s official flag.The move flouts a Montana law passed on May 13th that forbids political or ideological flags, particularly Pride flags, from being flown on government property.“Currently, there is only one official flag for the City of Missoula, and that’s the Pride flag adopted last night. There was no prior official flag,” Missoula City Attorney Ryan Sudbury <a href="https://nbcmontana.com/news/local/missoula-approves-pride-flag-as-official-city-flag-in-opposition-of-new-law" id="">told</a> NBC Montana.<h2 id="">A ‘divisive, far-left agenda’</h2>Montana Republican Governor Greg Gianforte slammed the resolution as “divisive.”“Last night, nine members of the Missoula City Council made clear their top priority is flying a divisive pride flag over government buildings and schools — all while ignoring the city’s housing affordability crisis, raising taxes by 17% because of over spending, and refusing to take firm action to end encampments in the city,” Gianforte said. “Missoulians deserve better, and fortunately, two council members voted against imposing this divisive, far-left agenda on their community.”<h2 id="">Education Department declares June ‘Title IX Month’</h2>The move contrasts with countrywide efforts by Republicans to erase Pride Month, which was first proclaimed by former President Bill Clinton in 1999 and has since been institutionalized by corporations, schools, sports leagues, and governments at the federal, state, and local levels.The Trump administration has not only nixed Pride Month, but the Education Department has renamed it “Title IX Month” to commemorate the 53rd anniversary of the legislation providing women the right to equal opportunity in sports and sex-segregated locker rooms.<h2 id="">House Republicans push for ‘Family Month’</h2>On Tuesday, Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL) introduced a resolution declaring June “Family Month.” The resolution was co-sponsored by Reps. Michael Cloud (R-TX), Harriet Hageman (R-WY), Barry Moore (R-AL), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Randy Weber (R-TX), Troy Nehls (R-TX), Mark Harris (R-NC), and Michael Rulli (R-OH).“The American family is under relentless attack from a radical leftist agenda that seeks to erase truth, redefine marriage, and confuse our children,” Rep. Miller said. “By recognizing June as Family Month, we reject the lie of ‘Pride’ and instead honor God’s timeless and perfect design. If we truly want to restore our nation, we must stand united to protect and uphold the foundation upon which it was built — the family.”The resolution quoted a line from a 1798 letter John Adams sent to the Massachusetts Militia: ‘‘Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”<h2 id="">‘Veteran’s Month’</h2>Meanwhile, conservative netizens have begun a movement to name June “Veteran’s Month” to honor America’s veterans.&nbsp;“Dear Pride Month, It’s now Veterans month. Sincerely, Normal Americans,” political commentator Gunther Eagleman posted on X.<div data-rt-embed-type='true'><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Dear Pride Month, It’s now Veterans month. Sincerely, Normal Americans&mdash; Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) <a href="https://twitter.com/GuntherEagleman/status/1929252276260028667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2025</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>November is officially National Veterans and Military Families Month.‍

City adopts Pride flag as its official flag

Meanwhile, Republicans are making bold attempts to reclaim 'Pride Month'

The British government has been accused of trying to reintroduce a blasphemy law to protect Islam from criticism.First introduced in medieval times, the UK’s prohibition against blasphemy outlawed criticism of Christianity. The law was abolished in 2008.But the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has tried to revive the law in the case of Hamit Coskun, an atheist who fled his native Turkey to escape persecution from Islamists. In February, Coskun staged a public protest against Islam outside the Turkish consulate in London where he publicly burned a Koran while shouting “f*ck Islam” and “Islam is religion of terrorism.” He was violently attacked by a man named Moussa Kadri, who later pleaded guilty to the assault and will face trial in 2027. Coskun was arrested.The CPS originally charged Coskun with “intent to cause against the religious institution of Islam harassment, alarm or distress.” This was met with criticism for essentially amounting to a blasphemy law, since the government was treating the religion itself as a victim. The CPS amended the charge, arguing that Coskun had committed a criminal act because he caused “harassment, alarm or distress” motivated by hatred for the followers of Islam.&nbsp;Coskun’s attorney, Katy Thorne KC, argued that even the amended charges amounted to a blasphemy law since it chilled his right to free speech for criticizing a religion. District Judge John McGarva disagreed, saying Coskun has a “deep-seated hatred” for Muslims. On Monday, he found Coskun guilty of a “religiously aggravated public order offence.”“You believe Islam is an ideology which encourages its followers to violence, paedophilia and a disregard for the rights of non-believers,” Judge McGarva told Coskun. “You don’t distinguish between the two. I find you have a deep-seated hatred of Islam and its followers. That is based on your experiences in Turkey and the experiences of your family.”When he gave his verdict, the judge said: “Your actions in burning the Koran where you did were highly provocative, and your actions were accompanied by bad language in some cases directed toward the religion and were motivated at least in part by hatred of followers of the religion.”<h2 id="">‘I will continue to campaign against the threat of Islam’</h2>Coskun was ordered to pay a fine of £240 ($324). Following the verdict, he vowed to continue protesting Islam.“As an activist, I will continue to campaign against the threat of Islam,” he said in a statement <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/06/02/man-burned-koran-guilty-racially-aggravated-public-order/" id="">quoted</a> by The Telegraph. “Christian blasphemy laws were repealed in this country more than 15 years ago, and it cannot be right to prosecute someone for blaspheming against Islam. Would I have been prosecuted if I’d set fire to a copy of the Bible outside Westminster Abbey? I doubt it.”In an <a href="https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/england-now-has-a-blasphemy-law/" id="">article</a> for The Spectator on Monday, journalist David Shipley said the verdict is tantamount to a blasphemy law. Weeks ago, he submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request to the CPS asking how many times they have charged people for insulting the “religious institution of Islam.”“Just this morning they responded, saying that it would take too long for them to review all the charges they had made, and that they would not comply with the FOI request,” Shipley wrote.‍

Protecting your
Medical Freedom
and Civil Liberties

Stream What is a Doctor? Today!

The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast - A Good Doctor Speaks with Dr. Gold

Latest Work

Defense secretary orders Navy to rename ship named after gay rights activist accused of being a predator

Texas Mandates 10 Commandments in Classrooms

City adopts Pride flag as its official flag

UK tries to revive blasphemy law to protect Islam from criticism

Latest Videos

How Much IsYour Freedom Worth?