On April 26, President Joe Biden issued a proclamation recognizing the 70th anniversary of the Lavender Scare—a 1950s attack on the LGBTQ+ community that began when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed an executive order barring LGBTQ+ individuals from working for the U.S. government. The order accused gay and lesbian employees of collaborating with the Soviet Russian Communist Party to undermine the nation’s security.
A Stain on American History
In his proclamation, Biden emphasized the need to reflect on the darkest chapters of American history and recognize the progress made since then. During the Lavender Scare, over 5,000 LGBTQI+ federal employees were investigated, interrogated, and lost their jobs simply because of their identities and who they loved.
Personal Stories of Discrimination
The article recounts the story of Madeleine Tress, a 24-year-old business economist at the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C., who was subjected to a security investigation as part of her job during the Eisenhower administration. After being interrogated and accused of being a homosexual, Tress resigned from her position, a fate shared by thousands of other LGBTQ+ employees in the 1950s and early 1960s.
The Roots of the Lavender Scare
The Lavender Scare began with the McCarran rider, attached to an appropriations bill, giving the Secretary of State authority to dismiss any employee at his discretion to promote public security. The scare intensified in 1950 when Senator Joseph McCarthy accused the U.S. State Department of harboring card-carrying Communists. These events set the stage for widespread investigations into the “homosexual problem” and the alleged infiltration of “sexual perverts” in the government.
The Ongoing Struggle for LGBTQ+ Rights
Despite progress in recent years, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights continues. The Trump administration rolled back many protections for the LGBTQ+ community, and since Trump left office, more than 40 states have introduced bills to ban the teaching of critical race theory or restrict discussions of racism, sexism, and LGBTQ+ issues in schools. Today’s political climate echoes the discrimination and persecution of the Lavender Scare era.
In his proclamation, Biden called for an end to the hatred and discrimination that LGBTQI+ Americans still face, pledging his administration’s support to fight against discriminatory laws targeting the community. The ongoing struggle for LGBTQ+ rights serves as a reminder of the progress made since the Lavender Scare, but also of the work that still needs to be done.