USA McCarthyism

The era of Senator Joseph McCarthy in the United States, representing the State of Wisconsin was notable for his persecution of gay communities and the firing of LGBTQIA+ individuals in federal agencies in the USA. Other leading figures during this era include: FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

Beginning sometime in 1947, after the second world war was well concluded, there became a widespread belief that "homosexuals" would be security risks because it was believed they were sympathetic to communism and because of the potential to blackmail them over hidden lifestyles at the time. In July of 1947, President Truman would setup a Personnel Security Board to rule on dismissing employees accused of being "security risks" in the State Department. Unironically, in pursuing gay employees in federal agencies figures like J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI, would utilize tactics that could be described as blackmail. For years, agencies would create morality clauses and investigations to pursue any gay employees, or employees suspected of being gay or otherwise queer. At the time these classifications would be titled "sex deviates" and "homosexuals".

Under President Eisenhower, these investigations were amplified and applauded as a successful national security operation for the Republican Party.

Related Books

• Hoover's War on Gays - Exposing the FBI's "Sex Deviates" Program, Douglas M. Charles (2015)
• The Lavender Scare - The Cold War Persecution of Gays and Lesbians in the Federal Government, David K. Johnson (1992)

Gallery

Senator McCarthy Pursues "Homosexuals" in State Department (1950)

• The Nome Nugget, a newspaper in the State of Alaska, publishes an article reporting "American foreign policy has been influenced by pro-communists, homosexuals, and a mastermind spying for Russia" (March 29, 1950).
• The Minneapolis Spokesman reports on the allegations from Senator Joe McCarthy that the State Department is "over-run with homo-sexuals" (April 14, 1950).
• The Evening Star, a Washington D.C. newspaper, reports on the Senate subcommittee beginning an investigation on "employment of homosexuals in Government" (April 28, 1950).
• The Evening Star reports that Senator Hill proposed a full investigation into federal agencies hiring gay residents (May 20, 1950).
• The Evening Star, a newspaper reports on State Department reaction to allegations made by Senator McCarthy (May 21, 1950).
• A report from the Evening Star reports a subcommittee investigation into "employment of homosexuals by the Federal Government" being approved and sent to the Senate Rules Committee, expecting "quick Senate approval". (May 25, 1950)
• The Nome Nugget reports on a Senate vote to investigate "homosexuals and moral perverts among government employees" (June 12, 1950).
• The Evening Star reports on Senate investigation and proposal for criminalizing gay residents (December 15, 1950).
• The Evening Star reports on a Congressional subcommittee investigation and proposal. The investigation found 91 employees fired by the State Department for "homosexuality" and the proposal attempts to "close loopholes" in order to criminalize gay residents (December 16, 1950).

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Federal Agencies Continue Firing "Homosexual" Employees in Federal Agencies (1951)

• The Arizona Sun reports on a spy hired by Senator McCarthy who was allegedly "homosexual". This comes after a year of McCarthy pursuing federal agencies in the USA for hiring gay employees (November 9, 1951).
• The Evening Star reports that Representative Miller of Nebraska calls for "a campaign against bottle clubs and homosexuals" (April 4, 1951; April 5, 1951).
• The Evening Star writes about a total of 148 gay employees fired from the State Department (April 26, 1951).
• The Evening Star reports on a new system by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to fire sex deviates, which includes "homosexuals" (April 27, 1951).

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House Investigates Immorality; Federal Agencies Continue Firing (1952)

• Madison County Democrat, a newspaper in the State of Ohio, reports on a total of 119 "homosexual" employees being removed from the State Department, and another 53 found in the Commerce Department (March 28, 1952).
• The Key West Citizen, a newspaper in the State of Florida, publishes a story which the Senate claims that the Communist Party held orgy parties to secure political information or state secrets (May 28, 1952).
• The Evening Star reports on 24 enlisted men under investigation for "alleged homosexuality" (August 31, 1952).
• A Daily Record article, a newspaper in the State of North Carolina, reports on a House investigation where a publisher saw no wrong in teenagers reading books "dealing with homosexuality" (December 2, 1952).

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Eisenhower's New Security Order to "Weed Out Security Risks" (1953)

• The Evening Star publishes report on continued McCarthy investigation into federal agencies hiring alleged "homosexuals"; claims State Department "waged since 1947 'an aggressive program to detect and rid itself of such employees'" (February 7, 1953).
• The Evening Star reports on McCarthy's investigations "the next phase of his inquiry would concern the handling of cases of homosexuals" (February 16, 1953).
• The Daily Record reports on 16 "homosexuals" being fired by the State Department (March 13, 1953).
• The Evening Star reports on 19 employees "separated from payroll" over allegations of being "homosexual" (April 21, 1953).
• The Evening Star reports that morale at the State Department has improved. The commenter writes, "These are all bad security risks these days. Homosexuals are exposed to blackmail" (April 22, 1953).
• The Key West Citizen reports on a new security order from Eisenhower to "weed out security risks" (April 29, 1953).
• The Nome Nugget reports on Senator Mundt of South Dakota saying "the administration has removed or obtained the resignation of 49 others 'for reasons of... security or homosexuality' since the GOP took over Jan. 20" (May 1, 1953).
• The Evening Star reports that 531 "risks" were ousted by the State Department including "investigations of homosexuality" of which 74 were classified (July 2, 1953).
• The Key West Citizen reports that 107 employees were dismissed in 1953, 74 over allegations of "homosexuality". On Page 2 it describes year over year firings for "homosexuality": 54 in 1950, 119 in 1951, 134 in 1952 (July 2, 1953).
• The Evening Star reports "74 persons have been fired this year as homosexuals" (July 5, 1953).
• The Southern Jewish Weekly, a newspaper in the State of Florida, reports on the McCarran-Walter Act whose supporters stated they wanted to keep out "undesirable Jewish immigrants", including "homosexuals" (July 10, 1953).
• The Evening Star reports "on July 18, 1947, Truman set up a Personnel Security Board to rule on dismissal of employes accused as security risks" (August 9, 1953).
• The Nome Nugget writes on 26,236 investigations from the FBI. Eisenhower's program is "broader... provides for getting rid of persons classed as... homosexuals" (October 26, 1953).
• The Key West Citizen reports on state department dismissals under Eisenhower, including "homosexuals" (December 16, 1953).

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United States Attorney Fights To Raise Conviction Rate in "Homosexual" Cases (1954)

• The Evening Star shares in interview which remarks "Since 1947... there have been more than 500 homosexuals terminated in the department" (February 23, 1954).
• The Evening Star reports the United States Attorney representing Washington D.C. "took another step in his fight to raise the conviction rate in homosexual cases" (May 7, 1954).

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