There may have been no group more harshly dealt with in WWII than homosexuals. by RS Davis
(libertarian)
Friday, May 2, 2008
You know, a lot of people have a lot to say about the Holocaust, about the six million Jews put to their death all throughout Europe. But there were other victims, too, including Catholics, gypsies, and even homosexuals.
It is the last of those upon which I would like to focus. The pink triangle, as shown above, was the symbol the NAZIs forced gay men to wear in the concentration camps.
Paragraph 175, which stated that "Unnatural fornication, whether between persons of the male sex or of humans with beasts, is to be punished by imprisonment; a sentence of loss of civil rights may also be passed," already appalling, was upgraded to felony status under the Hitler regime, and Special Office II S was created to enforce it.
It was used to send thousands of men to prison, and about ten thousand repeat offenders to concentration camps (at left, Sachsenhausen) for "re-education."
As one survivor recounts, "In order not to mutually incriminate ourselves, we decided to no longer recognize each other. When we came across each other in the street, we passed by without looking at one another. There were certainly possibilities for us to meet, but that never happened in public."
Only about 40% of those sent for re-education, these "175ers," survived. On the great day of libertation, many of those were sent back to regular prisons to complete their sentences, and none were acknowledged as victims of the regime or recieved any reparations.
So, all in all, the Holocaust may have been worse on the homosexual population than any other group.
That's why it is heartening to me to learn today that there is going to be a new national monument in Tel Aviv. YNet News reports:
A monument honoring the homosexual men and women who were persecuted due to their sexual orientation and perished during the Holocaust is to be established in Meir Garden in Tel Aviv, according to Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai...
...The monument is to be the first in Israel to commemorate these victims, though four of its kind exist worldwide, in Sydney, Copenhagen, Berlin, and Amsterdam. It has been designed as an iron triangle, on which the victims' names are to be inscribed.
Awesome. Well-deserved and overdue. Here's what it looks like:
Thanks to Haakon for the tip.
Did you like this article? If you did, Thumb It! 16
thumbs so far
The views expressed
in this article are those of RS Davis only and
do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates.
RS Davis is solely responsible for the contents
of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated
with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.
Thank you for reminding everyone of the homosexual struggle for freedom. Religion (all of them, especially Christianity and Islam) have made life difficult for homosexuals. Only a reasonable and rational society can see that homosexuality and free love are normal and not a "sin".
Want to comment on
this article? Leave your comment
here. Your email address is required to track your
comment. However, we will neither publish your email
address nor distribute it to other organizations or
persons. The only reason we might use it would be if
we needed to contact you regarding your comment. All
comments are subject to our
terms of use policy.
It was used to send thousands of men to prison, and about ten thousand repeat offenders to concentration camps (at left, Sachsenhausen) for "re-education." 
On the great day of libertation, many of those were sent back to regular prisons to complete their sentences, and none were acknowledged as victims of the regime or recieved any reparations.
