6.7: The Lavender Scare, Stonewall, and the Policing of Sexuality

The Lavender Scare

During the 1950s, the United States was gripped by widespread fear that communism was infiltrating American society—a period known as the Red Scare. At the same time, queer people faced a parallel wave of moral panic known as the Lavender Scare. Government officials, most notably Senator Joseph McCarthy, claimed that "homosexuals" posted a national security risk, arguing they were more vulnerable to blackmail by foreign agents. As a result, thousands of federal employees suspected of being gay or lesbian were investigated, dismissed, or forced to resign. During this period, public anxiety shifted from concerns about prostitution or moral indecency to what was described as "the homosexual menace." As Gayle Rubin (1984) observes, queer people, like communists, became targets of federal witch hunts and purges during the mid-twentieth century. This example shows how moral panic and political fear worked together to police sexuality and enforce social conformity (Rubin, 1984).

The Stonewall Riots

On June 28, 1969, one of the most significant uprisings in LGBTQ+ history began when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a popular gay bar in New York City’s Greenwich Village. The raid sparked several days of resistance and protest, now known as the Stonewall Riots, which are widely regarded as a catalyst for the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. During the 1950s and 1960s, being openly gay in the United States was extremely dangerous. Sodomy laws criminalized same-sex intimacy, and people could face fines, imprisonment, job loss, housing discrimination, family rejection, harassment, and violence because of their sexual identities.

In this context, gay bars such as the Stonewall Inn served as rare spaces where queer people could gather, build community, and express themselves with a measure of safety. The Stonewall Inn itself, reportedly operated by members of the Mafia, offered refuge but not full protection. Police raids were common and officers frequently arrested patrons for alleged "homosexual conduct" or for gender-nonconforming expression. Transgender and gender-nonconforming people were often especially vulnerable to police harassment and brutality.

When nine police officers raided the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969, they expected another routine operation. Instead, patrons and community members resisted. What began as a familiar act of police repression quickly escalated into a historic rebellion. As officers attempted to arrest people inside the bar, resistance spread into the streets, where crowds of onlookers and supporters gathered. As news traveled, thousands joined the protests in solidarity, transforming a single confrontation into a broader act of collective defiance. The unrest continued for four days ending on July 1, 1969.

The Stonewall Riots marked a turning point in LGBTQ+ history. They symbolized a collective refusal to accept oppression and helped inspire a more visible and organized movement for LGBTQ+ rights in the United States and beyond. Stonewall has since become an enduring symbol of resistance, activism, and pride.

Police Relations with the LGBTQ+ Community Today

The legacy of Stonewall continues to shape LGBTQ+ experiences in the present. Recent research by Vogler and Jenness shows that many LGBTQ+ people view police as both potential protectors and potential threats, with a significant number expressing distrust of law enforcement (Vogler & Jenness, 2023). This strained relationship reflects the enduring significance of Stonewall, a moment that continues to influence how queer communities understand policing, safety, and justice.

Research by Grasso and Avalos further shows how policing can disproportionately affect transgender people, especially when police encounters begin with calls from members of the public. Their work suggests that transgender and gender-nonconforming people are often drawn into police contact through public suspicion, surveillance, and gender nonconformity itself, rather than through criminal behavior alone (Grasso & Avalos, 2025). This finding is important because it highlights how policing is shaped not only by law enforcement practices, but also by broader social prejudice and public discomfort with gender diversity.

Open Content, Shared Previously

Adapted by Sarah Earl-Novell from 6.9: The Lavender Scare in Sexuality, the Self, and Society by Susan Rahman with Nathan Bowman, Dahmitra Jackson, Lushtak, Remi Newman, & Prateek Sunder, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Adapted by Sarah Earl-Novell from 6.10: Stonewall in Sexuality, the Self, and Society by Susan Rahman with Nathan Bowman, Dahmitra Jackson, Lushtak, Remi Newman, & Prateek Sunder, licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Modifications by Sarah Earl-Novell include remixing, editing, contextualization, and the addition of original content.

References

Grasso, J., & Avalos, S. (2025). The effect of police and public entanglements on arrests of transgender people. Contexts, 24(4), 74–76.

Rubin, G. S. (1984). Thinking sex: Notes for a radical theory of the politics of sexuality. In C. S. Vance (Ed.), Pleasure and danger: Exploring female sexuality (pp. 267–319). Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Vogler, S., & Jenness, V. (2023). LGBTQ+ people’s views of the police: Friend or foe? Contexts, 22(3), 68–71.