Grunge By Matt Reigle July 12, 2022
The first images returning from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have been captivating people around the world as the images present some of the clearest views we've ever had of deep space and distant galaxies. However, the occasion hasn't come without its share of controversy as some have argued that the telescope should be renamed due to its namesake's connection with the persecution of LGBTQ+ people in the middle of the 20th century, per The Guardian.
According to The New York Times, the name for the telescope was announced in 2002, when then-NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe revealed that the administration's next telescope would be named after James Webb, who served as the head of NASA during the Apollo missions of the 1960s. Webb was a strong advocate of space science and exploration, and before his work at NASA, he served as the undersecretary of state for the U.S. from 1949 to 1952. However, Webb's time in the State Department under United States President Harry S. Truman included his presence during what became known as the Lavender Scare.
Thousands lost their jobs during the Lavender ScareMost are familiar with Senator Joseph McCarthy's crusade to find and weed out people in the United States government who he alleged with communists or communists who had infiltrated the government. The Lavender Scare is similar, only it targeted LGBTQ+ individuals and is, unfortunately, far lesser known than the Red Scare. It is thought that thousands lost their jobs out of fear that gay men and lesbians "posed a threat to national security because they were vulnerable to blackmail and were considered to have weak moral characters," according to historian David K. Johnson (via Time).
More:
https://www.grunge.com/925215/why-the-james-webb-space-telescopes-name-is-under-fire/
