Between 5-15 thousand homosexuals died in concentration camps during the holocaust. Hitler wanted a master race, which excluded homosexuals. Lesbians were not as intensely persecuted as gay men, and few have been recorded for being imprisoned specifically for being a lesbian. Homosexuals were identified with a pink triangle and were used for experiments looking for ‘gay genes’. Gay men often received cruel treatment, such as being used for target practice, being beaten to death and being given harder, more dangerous work than others. It was not until 2002 when the gay community was apologised to by the German government. Laws against homosexuals were set even before Nazi Germany. In the Reich, 1871, homosexuals could be imprisoned, and when the Nazi’s came to power, these laws were tightened. German homosexuals were either forced to conform to the social standards or were sent to concentration camps.
The pink triangles labels the gay men.
No comments:
Post a Comment