BALTIMORE (AP) – Maryland Sen. Ben Cardin wants Secretary of State John Kerry to formally apologize to hundreds of federal workers who were fired decades ago because of their perceived sexual orientation.
The Baltimore Sun reports that the Democratic senator said in a letter to Kerry on Nov. 29 that it’s time for the country to apologize for the so-called “lavender scare.”
Cardin cited a book by historian David Johnson that said that at least 1,000 people were forced out of the state department in the 1950s and 1960s because they were believed to be gay.
Cardin says he will introduce legislation next year to offer an apology on behalf of Congress.
A state department official told the newspaper that it is preparing a response to Cardin.
