Johnson, author of the 2004 book the lavender scare and the historian to whom we owe the periods name, said, we should not forget that the lavender scare was a reaction to an earlier time of openness and visibility for the gay community. Feb 17, 2005 the lavender scare but as the political crusade took off, mccarthy was nowhere to be seen. With the united states gripped in the panic of the 1950s cold war, president. This was derived from lavender lads, uttered by senator everett dirksen in 1952. The lavender scare tackles gay witch hunt in 1950s. Edgar hoovers involvement in the lavender scare, plus overarching connections between the anticommunist campaigns with pervasive antisemitism in the united states, johnson makes a valuable. The lavender scare airs tuesday, june 18, 2019 at 9 p.
The call to remove gay men and lesbian women from government employment. The lavender scare made being publicly lgbt difficult. Mccarthyism, the lavender scare, and the fight for full lgbt. Windy city times news archive lavender scare director on very real tragedy in 1953, in the midst of the cold war, president dwight d. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Oct 15, 2016 mccarthyism, the lavender scare, and the fight for full lgbt equality. Jan 22, 2019 during the lavender scare, an estimated 10,000 lgbtq people were pushed out of u.
The lavender scare is the first featurelength documentary film to tell the story of the u. The book tackles the topic of love between an adult and underage teen set against the backdrop of the governments witch hunt for homosexuals during the 1950s. Drawing on newly declassified documents and interviews with former government officials, historian david johnson chronicles how the myth that homosexuals threatened national security. Although homosexuals were largely closeted before the lavender scare, being publicly lgbt during the 1950s was largely challenging and near impossible without staggeringly high consequences.
Congress wants state department to reckon with the lavender. But while the red scare lasted only during the 50s, the lavender scare went on through the 70s and affected more people than the red scare. To help with funding, josh howard created a kickstarter that met its goal in donations. Congress wants state department to reckon with the. Johnson is part of the project, as the film is based on his book. It was the biggest fire incident in the building until 911.
Book clubs and reading groups have long been important to marginalized communities. The lavender scare tackles the gay witch hunt that swept 1950s america at one point there were over 1,000 fbi agents assigned to do nothing but investigate the lives of gay people, says. The lavender scare but as the political crusade took off, mccarthy was nowhere to be seen. During the lavender scare, an estimated 10,000 lgbtq people were pushed out of u. Not so very long ago, lgbtq people had no specified protections in any areas of their lives. Johnson, the lavender scare illuminates a littleknown chapter of american history, and serves as a timely reminder of the value of vigilance. Our goal in class will be to make connections between these materialsand to. In cold war america, senator joseph mccarthy enjoyed tremendous support in the fight against what he called atheistic communism. But it is something you should know about, which is why director josh howard began production on the lavender scare, a documentary based on dr. Fired for being gay, frank kameny spent the rest of his. This is red scares, lavender scares, and the quest for equality during the early cold war, section 9. Plenty of textbooks and documentaries explore the cold war and the red scare, the time in the 1950s when suspected communists were driven out of government, entertainment and academia. The cold war persecution of gays and lesbians in the federal government is a heartwrenching reminder that homosexuals faced brutal employment discrimination and endless police hostility.
Persecution of lesbianism during the cold war jessica toops the cold war era of the 1950s is often connected with the red scare and the idea that the spread of communism must be stopped no matter the cost. The call to remove gay men and lesbian women from government employment was based on the. Johnson, the lavender scare illuminates a littleknown chapter of american history, and serves as a timely reminder of the value of vigilance and social action when civil liberties are under attack. Apr 21, 2019 based on the awardwinning book by historian david k. And it is a chilling reminder of how easy it can be, during a time of fear and uncertainty, to trample the rights of an entire class of people in the name of patriotism and national security. The cold war persecution of gays and lesbians in the federal government. The cold war persecution of gays and lesbians in the federal government johnson, david k. On july 2, 1959, a fire burned an air force services office at the pentagon to a crisp. Nov 27, 2019 the lavender scare refers to the identification and mass firings of thousands of homosexual people from the u. Jul 26, 2006 although there are some glaring omissions in johnsons book, including substantive discussions of roy cohn a top aid to joseph mccarthy and fbi chief j. Jun 09, 2019 you may have heard of the red scare of the 1950s the fear stoked by republican senator joseph mccarthy that communists had infested the federal government. Congressional investigations and the lavender scare summer 2016, vol.
Senate, rg 46 the red scare, the congressional witchhunt. Mar 08, 2018 if it was so widespread, why is the lavender scare so littleremembered compared to the red scare. The lavender scare refers to the identification and mass firings of thousands of homosexual people from the u. His first book, the lavender scare was made into a documentary film that garnered best documentary awards at over a dozen film festival. Winner of three book awards, the lavender scare masterfully traces the origins of contemporary sexual politics to cold war hysteria over national security. The mccarthy era is generally considered the worst period of political repression in recent american. Because opposition to antigay campaigns was so limited, and because no fired gay employee stood up and challenged his dismissal until 1957, the press lost interest, explained david johnson, author of the book the lavender scare. The lavender scare tackles gay witch hunt in 1950s america. But while the red scare has been far more extensively documented, the lavender scare, according to the u. Lavender scare dimension of the red scare of the 1950s that targeted the homosexual community as loyalty and because of their perceived lack of morality and security risks because communist influences could use blackmailing threats of exposing closeted homosexuals for american intelligence.
Jun, 2018 lasting from roughly 1947 to 1961, the lavender scare happened in conjunction with the red scare, the 1950s congressional witch hunt against communists spearheaded by sen. Johnson, the lavender scare illuminates a littleknown chapter of american history, and serves as a. These people are frightened to death national archives. May 02, 2019 even today his death remains a relatively unknown footnote in a dark chapter of state department history known as the lavender scare. The lavender scare is a compelling story of one mans fight for justice.
You may have heard of the red scare of the 1950s the fear stoked by republican senator joseph mccarthy that communists had infested. In the 1950s, these facts were irrelevant to those devoted to a reactionary politics. Jun 07, 2019 the lavender scare tackles the gay witch hunt that swept 1950s america at one point there were over 1,000 fbi agents assigned to do nothing but investigate the lives of gay people, says. University of montana professor discusses new novel about gay. The historian covers in detail one period of lgbt history that has been all but lost, yet, it was important in driving the events presented in making gay history far more than the. National archives congressional investigations and the lavender scare npr january 2018 article. The cold war persecution of gays and lesbians in the federal government new edition by johnson, david k. Chris bull, washington correspondent for the advocate and author of perfect enemies after this remarkable book, we will never be able to view the mccarthy era the same way again.
Johnson, a historian, has written the definitive history of the lavender scare, chronicling its origins and it impacts. Such periods of progress are always subject to a backlash. Johnson is published by university of chicago press. Johnson gave the period a name in his book, the lavender scare. Even today his death remains a relatively unknown footnote in a dark chapter of state department history known as the lavender scare. The cold war persecution of gays and lesbians in the federal government, david k. The two books are complements in that the lavender scare.
The lavender scare an essential and absorbing documentary tells the story of the political repression of homosexuality in america in the 50s, when antigay panic fused with. In this book, johnson concludes that the lavender scare, as it became routinized in the bureaucracy of the national security state, outlasted its more wellknown cousin, the red scare. Johnson further sets the socalled lavender scare in historical context by looking back at the history of washington, d. Eisenhower signed an executive order that banned gays and. The lavender scare, directed by josh howard and narrated by glenn close, is a documentary film that recounts the events of the lavender scare. During the 1950s and 60s, buoyed by the socalled red. University of montana professor discusses new novel about. This documentary chronicles the littleknown story of how homosexual workers were identified and fired by the federal government beginning in the 1950s, stirring outrage in the gay community and starting an lgbtq rights movement with an unlikely hero at the forefront.
The lavender scare addresses a period of american history that has remained in the shadows for far too long. People remember the persecution that those who were suspected of being affiliated with the communist party faced. Helen grace james earns military reinstatement in 2018, at the age of 90, after being released from the military during the lavender scare. Roosevelt house hosts a special presentation of the lavender scare, a documentary film about a littleknown chapter of american history when, in the panic of the 1950s cold war, president. He demonstrates how, in the language of the 1950s, security risk became a virtual code word for homosexual. Though he was a member of the congressional com mit tee that spent several months examining the homosexualsingovernment issue, mccarthy mys teriously recused himself from those hearings, johnson notes. Based on the awardwinning book by historian david k. The manchurian candidate and the accompanying short primary source, are american moms a menace, and the johnson chapter and its accompanying primary source, employment of homosexuals and other sex perverts. May 15, 2006 the two books are complements in that the lavender scare. Though he was a member of the congressional com mit tee that spent several months examining the homosexualsingovernment issue, mccarthy mys. Fired for being gay, frank kameny spent the rest of his life. Dave johnson as the title for his book the lavender scare, published in 20014. Although there are some glaring omissions in johnsons book, including substantive discussions of roy cohn a top aid to joseph mccarthy and fbi chief j.
Reading guide sex, gender, and the lavender scare session 7 we will discuss two sets of materials. If it was so widespread, why is the lavender scare so littleremembered compared to the red scare. Homosexuals at the state department in the 1950s and 60s, security within the u. This gay witch hunt grew out of the postworld war ii red scare and its subsequent mccarthyism era campaign to purge communists from the government.
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