# The LOVE Act of 2022: Understanding a Bill About Historical Injustice

During the 1950s and 1960s, the U.S. State Department fired at least 1,000 employees simply because they were gay or perceived to be gay. This period became known as the "Lavender Scare," and it was based on a false belief that gay employees were security risks who could be blackmailed. The LOVE Act (Lavender Offense Victim Exoneration Act) is Congress's attempt to acknowledge this dark chapter in American history and help the people who were wrongfully harmed by it.

The bill requires the State Department to find all employees who were fired during this period because of their sexual orientation and create a public report documenting what happened. It also establishes a special board to contact these former employees or their families to tell them their terminations were wrong and offer to fix their employment records. If someone believes they were fired for this reason but wasn't included in the initial report, they can petition the board to review their case. The board has five years to complete this work. Additionally, Congress formally apologizes for its role in pressuring the State Department to carry out these discriminatory policies.

Beyond addressing the past, the bill also looks toward the future. It requires the State Department to create a permanent exhibit about the Lavender Scare in the National Museum of American Diplomacy so people can learn about what happened. The bill also establishes a new board to listen to current LGBTQ State Department employees and their families about any discrimination they face today, and requires the State Department to report to Congress about countries that refuse to issue spousal visas to same-sex partners of American diplomats. The goal is to ensure that what happened in the past never happens again.

LOVE Act of 2022

Castro, Joaquin

Lavender Offense Victim Exoneration Act of 2022 or the LOVE Act of 2022 This bill offers a formal apology from Congress for encouraging policies at the Department of State, such as the Lavender Scare, which resulted in the wrongful termination of at least 1,000 people for alleged homosexuality, and addresses related issues. The State Department must (1) review all employee terminations that occurred as a consequence of the Lavender Scare to identify those who were wrongfully terminated, and (2) issue a public report on the findings. The State Department must establish an independent Reconciliation Board to contact any employee (or a family member of a deceased employee) wrongfully terminated during the Lavender Scare and offer to change the employee's record to reflect this finding. The board must accept and review petitions from former employees who believe they were terminated due to sexual orientation. The State Department must establish a board of senior-level officials to address issues that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) Foreign Service employees and their families face. The board must report on improving State Department policies to prevent discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics. The State Department must report on (1) countries that do not issue spousal visas for Foreign Service employee spouses due to sexual orientation, gender identity, or sex characteristics; and (2) recommendations for State Department responses, such as eliminating visa reciprocity for such countries.