How were people of different sexual orientations and civil rights leaders affected by the Red Scare?

During the Red Scare, particularly the one associated with the fear of communism in the early Cold War period (late 1940s to late 1950s), there was widespread paranoia and fear of subversive activities within the United States. This fear extended to various groups, including civil rights leaders and people of different sexual orientations.

For civil rights leaders, the Red Scare was a period of intensified scrutiny and repression. Many activists were labeled as communists or communist sympathizers simply because they challenged the status quo and sought to dismantle segregation and racial discrimination. The U.S. government, especially through the FBI and its then-director J. Edgar Hoover, often sought to discredit and disrupt civil rights organizations. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr. was under constant surveillance, and efforts were made to undermine his credibility because his activism was seen, by some, as a threat that could be linked to communist ideologies.

People with different sexual orientations—commonly referred to at the time as homosexuals—were also targeted during the Red Scare in what came to be known as the "Lavender Scare." The fear was that gay individuals were particularly susceptible to blackmail by Soviet agents due to their sexuality being criminalized and stigmatized. As a result, many individuals suspected of being gay were purged from government positions, and their careers were often destroyed. This discrimination was officially sanctioned by an executive order from President Eisenhower in 1953, which was used to bar homosexuals from working for the federal government, claiming they were a security risk.

In summary, the Red Scare had a profoundly negative impact on civil rights leaders and people of different sexual orientations, as both groups faced accusations of being un-American or security risks, leading to surveillance, harassment, and persecution.