NASA’s newest space observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, recently settled into its final orbit, nearly a million miles away. But controversy over the telescope’s namesake, former NASA Administrator James E. Webb, is still roiling here on Earth. Webb worked at the highest levels of NASA and the U.S. State Department during the notorious Lavender Scare of the 1950s and 60s, when thousands of federal employees were fired for being gay.

What was Webb’s role in the Lavender Scare? How should this legacy affect the naming of NASA’s flagship telescope? And what are the implications for LGBTQIA+ astronomers and space scientists in the field today?

To address these questions, we’ve produced a new 40-minute documentary, premiering on YouTube next week, called Behind the Name: James Webb Space Telescope. The documentary includes historical records and footage to provide context for the Lavender Scare, James E. Webb’s work at NASA and the State Department, and the process of naming telescopes. It also features interviews with LGBTQIA+ astronomers to explore their perspective on JWST’s name, and their experiences with the prejudices still lingering in the field today.

Join us for the live YouTube premiere on July 5 at 4pm Eastern at https://youtu.be/jqrZ0Pl-KjQ