13. The Lavender Scare
Alongside the hunt for communists, the government launched the Lavender Scare, targeting LGBTQ+ individuals in federal employment. Authorities conflated homosexuality with subversion, claiming it posed a security risk. This led to mass firings and public shaming, destroying countless careers and lives. The Lavender Scare’s impact rippled far beyond politics, entrenching discrimination and fear within American society, and highlighting how suspicion extended into every facet of identity.
