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Dates to Remember
February: LGBT History Month
February is LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) History Month which celebrates the lives and achievements of the LGBT community. LGBT History Month is committed to celebrate the diversity of the LGBT community and that of society as a whole. It encourages everyone to see diversity and cultural pluralism as the positive forces that they are and endeavour to reflect this in all that we do.
The Nazi regime targeted gay men and lesbians for persecution, using the pre-existing legislation known as Paragraph 175 which criminalised homosexual acts. Within days of Hitler becoming Chancellor repression against LGBT people commenced. Many gay men and lesbians fled abroad, entered into heterosexual marriages or conformed to Nazi ideals – Germany’s thriving gay culture was destroyed.
Significant numbers of gay men were arrested, of whom an estimated 50,000 received severe jail sentences in brutal conditions. Most were not sent to concentration camps but were instead exposed to inhumane treatment in police prisons. There they could be subjected to hard labour and torture, or be executed or experimented upon. Some 10-15,000 people were deported to concentration camps. Many, but not all, were assigned pink triangles. Most died in the camps often from exhaustion. Many were castrated and some subjected to other gruesome medical experiments. Collective murder actions were undertaken against gay detainees, exterminating hundreds at a time.
After the war, the Allies chose not to remove the Nazi-amended Paragraph 175. Neither they, nor the new German states, nor Austria would recognise homosexual prisoners as victims of the Nazis – a status essential to qualify for reparations. Indeed, many gay men continued to serve their prison sentences.
During February HMDT urges everyone to remember all those targeted by the Nazis because they failed to conform to the narrow definitions of what it meant to be a “human”. We also encourage everyone to celebrate the differences that exist in our society – you may wish to attend one of the LGBT History Month events which will be taking place across the UK.
You can use HMDT resources to learn more about:
Victims of Nazi persecution
The persecution of gay men and lesbians by the Nazi regime and homophobia today
Albrecht Becker, a gay man imprisoned by the Nazis
David Morley, a gay man murdered in London
For further information relating to the persecution of gay men and lesbians and LGBT History Month you can visit the following websites. Please note that information contained on these sites are the responsibility of the website owners and may not reflect the views or opinions of HMDT.
