The Lavender Scare: The War on Gay Government Employees

In the 1950s, as America hunted communist spies, a parallel and more ruthless purge was underway. Thousands of federal employees were fired or driven out for alleged homosexuality in a moral panic known as the "Lavender Scare." This episode uncovers the Senate investigations, the "sex pervert" files, and the lives ruined by a state-sanctioned witch hunt. We explore how the fear of blackmail fueled a decades-long persecution, and trace the forgotten fight for dignity that paved the way for later civil rights movements. Hosted by Ibnul Jaif Farabi. Produced by Light Knot Studios (lightknotstudios.com).