by: John Gallagher

One of the darkest stains on American history was the persecution of LGBTQ people. Bar raids, employment purges, entrapments — the tactics used to harass and ruin the lives of LGBTQ Americans were lengthy.

What is worse is that the federal government was often at the forefront of the attacks. From the lavender scare of the McCarthy era to Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, government policy was structured to target LGBTQ people for discrimination and dismissal.

To remind people of that persecution, the Mattachine Society of Washington, D.C. has collected hundreds of documents that prove the federal government’s role as a leader in harassing LGBTQ people, especially employees.

Read more here.