Construction of Navy ship ‘Harvey Milk’ begins in San Diego.

Kathy Baker, center, signs off on the ceremonial first cut of steel for the future Harvey Milk on Friday at General Dynamics NASSCO in San Diego.(Image: Andrew Dyer/ Union-Tribune)

Construction began Friday on the future Harvey Milk, a fleet oiler named for the slain gay rights leader and the first openly gay man elected in the state.

Milk was elected to the San Francisco board of supervisors in 1978 and was…