Opera throws rare light on anti-gay 'Lavender Scare'

Overshadowed in history books by the communist witch-hunt, the McCarthyist era's "Lavender Scare" destroyed even more lives as the US government outed and fired thousands of gays and lesbians. A new opera aims to throw a new spotlight on the dark chapter of the 1950s, recreating a story of dangerous, illicit love for audiences that have seen major advances in gay rights. "Fellow Travelers," which will premiere on June 17 at Cincinnati Opera, takes place in the backdrop of the rise of Joe McCarth