From 1947 through 1 July 1969, United States federal agencies conducted the Lavender Scare as a broad firing, forced-resignation, and exclusion campaign against suspected homosexual employees. From 27 May 1953 until 17 January 2017, President Eisenhower’s Executive Order 10450 listed “sexual perversion” as a security and suitability concern; from 27 May 1953 through 1 July 1969, this provision effectively barred homosexuals from federal government employment before Norton v. Macy began limiting the policy. policy. On 1 July 1969, Norton v. Macy held that Clifford Norton’s sexual orientation was not relevant to his job performance and should not have been grounds for dismissal. The court ruled that the federal government could not justify enforcing private morality and that such discrimination conflicted with principles of liberty, privacy, and diversity. It also found no rational connection between Norton’s termination and workplace efficiency, requiring a clear job-related reason for firing. While important, the decision did not fully protect gay and lesbian federal employees and had only a limited effect on later policies.

Before the 2012 EEOC decision, there were no federal discrimination protections. protections for LGBT people in employment.