The Lavender Scare
For more information on how to teach about the persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals, visit Handling Sensitive Topics from Stanford University.
Lesson Plan
During the early years of the Cold War, fear of communism shaped many decisions made by the federal government. While the post-war period is often best-remembered for the Red Scare investigations into alleged communist influence, a lesser-known campaign known as the Lavender Scare targeted thousands of LGBTQ+ Americans working in government at the same time. Driven by concerns about national security and loyalty, congressional investigations and executive actions led to widespread discrimination, job losses, and violations of civil liberties.
In this high school U.S. history lesson, students investigate how fear influenced public policy and government actions during the Cold War. Through political cartoons, congressional reports, executive orders, speeches, and historical case studies, students analyze how lawmakers and government officials justified investigations into both suspected communists and LGBTQ+ Americans. Students evaluate the evidence used to support these policies and consider whether those actions were justified.
Using the Compelling Question “How does fear shape the federal government’s actions?” students examine primary sources, assess the quality of congressional investigations, and explore the consequences of government decisions on individual rights. Through inquiry-based learning, students develop historical thinking skills while considering the relationship between national security, public fear, and civil liberties.
This free download includes:
- Lesson Plan
- A two-day inquiry-based lesson that guides students through an investigation of the Red Scare and the Lavender Scare, examining how fear influenced congressional investigations, executive actions, and public policy during the Cold War. Students analyze evidence and evaluate the impact of government decisions on civil liberties.
- Primary and Secondary Sources
- Herbert Block (1947–1950) A collection of political cartoons that illustrate public fears surrounding communism, McCarthyism, and government investigations during the early Cold War.
- Wherry Committee Report Excerpts (1950) Adapted congressional testimony and findings that argued LGBTQ+ government employees posed security risks because they were vulnerable to blackmail and alleged communist influence.
- Hoey Committee Report Excerpts (1950) Congressional findings from a Senate investigation into the employment of homosexuals in the federal government.
- Executive Order 10450 (1953) Excerpts from President Dwight Eisenhower’s executive order that expanded federal security investigations and formally linked sexual orientation to government security concerns.
- Joseph McCarthy Speech (1952) A speech in which Senator Joseph McCarthy connected anti-communist fears to accusations against LGBTQ+ government employees.
- Joe McCarthy’s Oversight Abuses: A background reading that explains McCarthy’s rise to power, the tactics he used during congressional investigations, the development of the Red Scare and Lavender Scare, and the eventual backlash against his methods.
- Student Worksheets
- Inquiry activities that help students analyze political cartoons, evaluate congressional investigations using oversight criteria, assess historical evidence, and answer supporting and compelling questions about fear, government power, and civil liberties during the Cold War.
- Answer Key and Slide Deck
- Teacher support materials that provide sample responses, evidence-based explanations, and guidance for facilitating discussions about the Red Scare, the Lavender Scare, and the consequences of fear-driven policymaking.
- A ready-to-use presentation that guides students through this lesson and reinforces key historical vocabulary and concepts for whole-class instruction.
Through historical investigations, political cartoons, congressional reports, and government documents, students explore how fear can influence public policy and government decision-making. Along the way, students investigate questions including: :
- What was the Red Scare?
- What was the Lavender Scare?
By the end, students answer the Compelling Question: How does fear shape the federal government’s actions?
How did Cold War fears of communism fuel the persecution of LGBTQ+ Americans?
...By that time, I had decided that basically what this amounted to was a declaration of war against me by my government. “A,” I don’t grant my government the right to declare war against me. And “B,” I tend not to lose my wars.
Following World War II, tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union sparked widespread fears about communism both abroad and at home. As the Cold War intensified, many Americans worried that communist agents had infiltrated the federal government, military, educational institutions, and other important organizations. These concerns fueled what became known as the Red Scare, a period marked by investigations, loyalty programs, and accusations of subversion.
Senator Joseph McCarthy became one of the most prominent figures of this era after claiming in 1950 that communists were working inside the U.S. State Department. McCarthy was such a catalyst for what followed, that the ensuing national panic over suspected communists and other subversives became known as McCarthyism. Although many of McCarthy’s allegations lacked evidence, public anxiety about national security helped him gain political influence. Congressional committees, federal agencies, and public officials launched investigations into suspected communist activity, often relying on rumor, suspicion, and guilt by association rather than documented proof.
At the same time, government officials increasingly targeted LGBTQ+ Americans in what became known as the Lavender Scare. Many policymakers argued that gay and lesbian government employees posed security risks because they could allegedly be blackmailed by foreign governments or domestic communists. Congressional investigations, including the Wherry and Hoey Committee inquiries, promoted these claims despite limited evidence. Their findings contributed to policies that removed thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals from federal employment.
These fears converged and influenced federal policy in 1953 when President Dwight Eisenhower issued Executive Order 10450, which expanded security investigations and included sexual orientation among factors considered relevant to national security. The order contributed to decades of discrimination against LGBTQ+ federal employees.
As students investigate these events, they examine how fear affected government decision-making, evaluate the evidence used to justify official actions, and consider the consequences of policies that prioritized perceived security threats over individual rights and due process.
Content Standards
This lesson plan aligns with Michigan social studies content standards and supports instruction in U.S. history and civics by helping students analyze the role fear played in Congressional oversight activities, government policymaking, and the willingness to violate civil liberties of ordinary Americans as a result of anticommunism, homophobia and national security concerns in the post-WWII era.
All Learning by Hearings materials are fully funded by the State of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Education.
MI USHG – 8.2.2 Policy Concerning Domestic Issues – analyze major domestic issues in the post-World War II era and the policies designed to meet the challenges by:
- describing issues challenging Americans, such as domestic anticommunism (McCarthyism), labor, poverty, health care, infrastructure, immigration, and the environment.
- evaluating policy decisions and legislative actions to meet these challenges.
MI USHG – 8.3.4 Civil Rights Expanded – evaluate the major accomplishments and setbacks in securing civil rights and liberties for all Americans over the 20th century.
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