It might be lesser known than the Red Scare, but the Cold War-era Lavender Scare also purged civil servants from U.S. government positions – in this case, LGBTQ Americans. Jonathan Rauch is a contributing writer to The Atlantic, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the lasting harms these tactics had on not only career diplomats but the broader LGBTQ community across the country – and why he says it’s time for a reckoning. His article is “The U.S. Should Apologize to Gay People.”
Frank Kameny leads a picket line in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia on July 4, 1965 thelavenderscare.com
