The Lavender Scare: The Dark Legacy of the Johns Committee

🏳️‍🌈The Johns Committee in Florida terrorized the LGBTQ community in the 1950s, targeting teachers and students and purging them from the state.

🌐The Lavender Scare in Florida was part of a larger wave of discrimination and persecution nationwide, driven by the fear of communism and the civil rights movement.

🚓The tactics used by the Johns Committee included interrogation, entrapment, and intimidation, often in motels or bathrooms, without legal representation.

🔍The committee saw LGBTQ individuals as security risks who could be blackmailed by communists, leading to a targeted hunt known as the Lavender Scare.

📚The Johns Committee attempted to destroy the NAACP and fought against civil rights groups, but their efforts ultimately failed.

What was the Lavender Scare?

—The Lavender Scare was a period in US history in the 1950s when LGBTQ individuals were targeted and purged from government jobs and educational institutions due to fears of communism and their perceived vulnerability to blackmail.

Who was the Johns Committee?

—The Johns Committee, informally named after Florida state senator Charley Johns, was a legislative investigation committee formed to target and persecute LGBTQ individuals in the state of Florida.

What were the tactics used by the Johns Committee?

—The Johns Committee used tactics such as interrogation, entrapment, intimidation, and surveillance to identify and blackmail LGBTQ individuals, often without legal representation.

What was the impact of the Johns Committee?

—The Johns Committee ruined the lives of many LGBTQ individuals in Florida, leading to forced dismissals of teachers and students. It created a culture of fear and discrimination that lasted for many years.

Did the Johns Committee face any consequences for their actions?

—The Johns Committee eventually lost public support and funding. While an official apology has not been issued by the state of Florida, there are ongoing efforts to acknowledge and condemn their actions.

00:01The first-time encounter with the Johns Committee.

02:44The connection between the Lavender Scare and the fear of communism and the civil rights movement.

05:25The interrogation tactics used by the Johns Committee, including entrapment and intimidation.

06:57The committee's focus on targeting LGBTQ individuals, viewing them as national security risks.

09:36The ultimate downfall of the Johns Committee and the lasting impact on the lives of its victims.