The Lavender Scare in Cold War America

The story of Sen. Joseph McCarthy targeting alleged Communists working for the federal government is part of every American history textbook, but his persecution of LGBTQ people is not as widely known. In this episode, we are exploring the Lavender Scare. CNA analyst Kyle Penner and David Johnson author of, "The Lavender Scare: The Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government," join Bill for this discussion. Kyle Penner is a Research Analyst in CNA's Undersea Warfare Program and one of the leaders of the employee resource group Pride at CNA. David Johnson is a professor of history at the University of South Florida.