Independent Lens Season 7 Episode 26 The Great Pink Scare

The Great Pink Scare is an episode of the award-winning PBS documentary series Independent Lens. This particular episode delves into one of the lesser-known but equally disturbing chapters of American history – the persecution of gay and lesbian government employees during the Cold War era.

The episode begins by setting the stage in the early 1950s, a time of intense fear and paranoia in America as the country faced the threat of nuclear annihilation from communist nations. Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin was at the forefront of the anti-communist crusade, fueling hysteria with his allegations of widespread communist infiltration in American society. This led to a witch hunt against anyone suspected of being a communist sympathizer, resulting in the persecution and blacklisting of countless innocent people.

However, the episode focuses on a different target of this hysteria – homosexuals. At the time, homosexuality was considered a mental illness and a threat to national security as it was believed that gay men and women were susceptible to blackmail and therefore vulnerable to being coerced into divulging sensitive government information. This led to a policy of systematic discrimination against gays and lesbians in the federal government, which came to be known as the "Lavender Scare". The "pink" in the episode title refers to the color that was associated with gay people at the time, as opposed to the "red" of communist sympathizers.

The Great Pink Scare sheds light on this little-known aspect of McCarthyism through a combination of archival footage and interviews with people who lived through the era. We hear from gay and lesbian former government employees who talk about the fear and stigmatization they experienced on a daily basis. Many of them were interrogated and forced to undergo humiliating "examinations" to determine their sexual orientation, while others were summarily fired without any due process. The interviews are interspersed with snippets of McCarthy's speeches and newsreels from the time, creating a vivid picture of the political climate of the era.

One of the most memorable parts of the episode is when we meet Frank Kameny, a former government astronomer who was fired because of his homosexuality and became a pioneering gay rights activist. Kameny's story is one of defiance and resilience as he refused to back down in the face of discrimination. He went on to stage some of the first public protests for gay rights and even took his case to the Supreme Court, where he challenged the government's policy of barring homosexuals from federal employment. While Kameny's case was not successful, it was a landmark moment in the fight for LGBT rights, and he is remembered as a hero in the community.

The Great Pink Scare also explores the ways in which the government carried out its witch hunt, which included surveillance, entrapment, and intimidation of gay people. We see how the government created lists of suspected gays and lesbians and shared them with employers in an effort to weed out "deviants". The episode also highlights the human toll of this policy, with heartbreaking stories of people who lost their livelihoods and had to live in constant fear of being exposed.

Despite the heavy subject matter, The Great Pink Scare is ultimately a film about resilience and the power of activism. We see how people like Frank Kameny and the early gay rights pioneers laid the groundwork for the progress that has been made since then. While discrimination against LGBT people still exists, it is no longer enshrined in government policy as it was during the Pink Scare. The episode is a timely reminder of the importance of vigilance and activism in the face of oppression, and a tribute to those who fought for a better world.

Overall, The Great Pink Scare is a powerful and moving episode of Independent Lens that sheds light on a little-known chapter of American history. It is a must-see for anyone interested in LGBT rights, Cold War history, or the human cost of political persecution.