1. United States
2. La.
3. Letter

The recent firing of over 100 intelligence officials for merely participating in an LGBTQ+ support group chat is a disturbing echo of the Lavender Scare that saw thousands of federal employees purged in the 1950s due to their sexual orientation or gender identity. Deeming discussions about gender-affirming care or LGBTQ+ identities as "obscene" and grounds for termination is blatant discrimination. This unjustified purge threatens to undermine U.S. intelligence capabilities by ousting talented personnel, including brilliant transgender coders and cybersecurity experts. It also follows the repeal of protections preventing intelligence agencies from surveilling individuals based solely on their LGBTQ+ status. This McCarthyist witch-hunt against a marginalized community must end. I urge you to speak out against this discriminatory agenda and reinstate these wrongfully terminated employees.