This is an eye opening documentary about the the political repression of homosexuality in America, about the discrimination of gays and lesbians during the Cold War where President Eisenhower had signed the 1953 federal mandate banning criminals, alcoholics, or “sex perverts” from serving in the government. The logic was simple. During and after the Cold War, it was believed that Russian spies and communists have infiltrated the highest levels of government and that homosexual men and women were seen as uniquely vulnerable to being blackmailed into betraying national secrets. In reality, there was never one documented case of that phenomenon. But the paranoia had already set in and it took no time to sign these orders. This documentary looks through the lives of some of these lesbians and gay men who were forced to leave their government positions, sometimes in disgrace, and maybe no place to go to. It’s also about how the FBI instructed police stations across the country to commence a crackdown on local gay life, all with the excuse of patriotism.
We meet high ranking lesbian official, a lesbian who was fired from her first job right after college, a closet gay man working in US Postal service who was outed for dressing in drag and many others. While there are several takeaways from the film, viewers should remember one name if they don’t already know it: Frank Kameny. As one of the thousands dismissed from his job in the ’50s for his homosexuality, he was the one person who decided to fight back and became a driving force to effect change in the gay rights movement. IN a short span of just one hour, the film discusses with great detail how the government promoted the eradication of this "predominant national disease."
Overall, “The Lavender Scare” is good jumping-off point to learn about the modern gay rights movement in America to show that it’s not a recent phenomenon. It tells a dark story and does a good job in keeping it engaging. Although, it does feel that it is a very white people's perspective and does not have any single person of color and their story shared. (6/10)
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