70th Anniversary of the Lavender Scare, 26473-26474 [2023-09258]

Agencies

• Executive Office of the President

[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 83 (Monday, May 1, 2023)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 26473-26474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-09258]




                        Presidential Documents 



Federal Register / Vol. 88 , No. 83 / Monday, May 1, 2023 / 
Presidential Documents



[[Page 26473]]

                Proclamation 10557 of April 26, 2023

                
70th Anniversary of the Lavender Scare

                By the President of the United States of America

                A Proclamation

                Our Nation has made tremendous progress in advancing 
                the cause of equality for LGBTQI+ Americans. To keep 
                building on that progress, we must reflect honestly on 
                the darkest chapters of our story and on how far we 
                have come. Seventy years ago, as the Cold War set in, 
                President Eisenhower signed an Executive Order banning 
                LGBTQI+ Americans from serving in the Federal 
                Government. This action codified a shameful chapter in 
                our Nation's history known as the ``Lavender Scare.'' 
                It was a decades-long period when 5,000 to 10,000 
                LGBTQI+ Federal employees were investigated, were 
                interrogated, and lost their jobs simply because of who 
                they were and whom they loved.

                On this anniversary, we acknowledge the importance of 
                telling the complete history of our Nation, reflecting 
                on the lives changed by this discrimination, honoring 
                the courageous Americans who fought to end this 
                injustice, and celebrating the contributions of today's 
                proud LGBTQI+ public servants--including members of our 
                Armed Forces.

                Our Nation was founded on the sacred idea that all of 
                us are created equal and deserve to be treated equally 
                under our laws. But for so many members of the LGBTQI+ 
                community, hate, discrimination, and isolation 
                throughout our country's history have denied them the 
                full promise of America. The Lavender Scare 
                epitomized--and institutionalized--this injustice. As 
                LGBTQI+ employees were forced out of the workforce, the 
                Federal Government attempted to defend its policies by 
                propagating false and hateful stereotypes--accusing 
                this community of being a threat to our national 
                security and unworthy of public trust. Employees who 
                were fired under these policies often lost future 
                employment, other opportunities, and even relationships 
                with their own families. Many endured poverty and 
                public disgrace. Some took their own lives as a result 
                of the trauma they had to bear.

                While this is a story of profound injustice, it is also 
                a story of remarkable bravery. From seeking relief in 
                the courts to picketing in front of the White House, 
                activists stood up for their rights and helped lay the 
                foundation for the modern-day LGBTQI+ civil rights 
                movement. One such trailblazer was Franklin Kameny, an 
                Army astronomer, who after being fired because he was 
                gay, dedicated over 50 years of his life to activism 
                and helping LGBTQI+ workers stand up for their rights. 
                In 2009, I was proud to meet Frank Kameny in the Oval 
                Office as President Obama and I officially expanded 
                many Federal benefits to same-sex partners of 
                Government employees.

                I am equally proud to have mandated additional 
                protections for the fundamental rights of LGBTQI+ 
                Americans. I have appointed barrier-breaking LGBTQI+ 
                leaders to the highest levels of Government, including 
                the first openly gay Senate-confirmed Cabinet 
                Secretary, the first two openly transgender Americans 
                to be confirmed by the United States Senate, and the 
                first open lesbian to achieve the rank of Ambassador. 
                When Americans tune in to the daily White House press 
                briefing, they see the first openly gay White House 
                Press Secretary representing my Administration on the 
                world stage.

[[Page 26474]]

                But this is just the beginning. I rescinded the 
                discriminatory ban on transgender service members, 
                paving the way for these brave Americans to once again 
                serve openly in the United States military. I signed an 
                Executive Order on Advancing Diversity, Equity, 
                Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce, 
                taking additional steps to ensure that LGBTQI+ public 
                servants are treated with dignity and respect. I also 
                signed a landmark Executive Order charging the Federal 
                Government to prevent and combat discrimination on the 
                basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. 
                Federal agencies have since strengthened or clarified 
                protections for LGBTQI+ Americans in housing, health 
                care, education, employment, credit and lending 
                services, and the criminal justice system. Just last 
                year, I proudly signed the Respect for Marriage Act to 
                defend the rights of LGBTQI+ and interracial couples.

                The struggle for equal justice is not over. Today and 
                in each generation, we must rededicate ourselves to 
                ending the hatred and discrimination that LGBTQI+ 
                Americans continue to face. That includes addressing a 
                wave of discriminatory laws that target them--
                especially transgender children--and that echo the 
                hateful stereotypes and stigma of the Lavender Scare. 
                My Administration is standing firmly with brave LGBTQI+ 
                Americans to push back against these injustices.

                Great nations face their history openly and honestly: 
                the good, the bad, and the truth. Today, we make our 
                message simple to every public servant who suffered 
                from the un-American policies and discrimination of the 
                Lavender Scare: We see your sacrifices. We acknowledge 
                what you lost and what you wrongfully endured. I have 
                mandated my Administration to do all we can to write a 
                new chapter of our American story that will demonstrate 
                our abiding commitment to equal rights, respect for 
                human dignity, and limitless opportunity for all.

                NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of 
                the United States of America, by virtue of the 
                authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws 
                of the United States, do hereby proclaim April 27, 
                2023, as the 70th Anniversary of the Lavender Scare. I 
                call upon government officials and the people of the 
                United States of America to honor the contributions of 
                LGBTQI+ public servants, to recognize the lives 
                impacted by the Lavender Scare, and to celebrate the 
                great diversity of the American people.

                IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this 
                twenty-sixth day of April, in the year of our Lord two 
                thousand twenty-three, and of the Independence of the 
                United States of America the two hundred and forty-
                seventh.
                
                
                    (Presidential Sig.)

[FR Doc. 2023-09258
Filed 4-28-23; 8:45 am]
Billing code 3395-F3-P