Homosexuality
During the time of the German Nazi regime, the term "homosexual" was viewed as a deformity as opposed to a type of sexuality like in today's world. Many homosexuals took cover from their emotions through lying and deceit. They lived as though heterosexual to avoid persecution from the Nazi’s. Many of them married the opposite sex and even had children. The movement of gay men and women during the Holocaust ranged between England and the United States. Their positive freedom of thinking was enslaved throughout their time in Nazi Germany. (3)
They were not free to act on the feelings they were experiencing. Once they reached these places many of them left their spouses or had affairs with other escaped homosexuals as well. The approach to understanding this movement and why these individuals had to live their life of lies were to ask the questions, “why did they leave Nazi Germany”, and “what happened when they got to their place of escape?”. There are not too many personal accounts of homosexuality documented about the holocaust because of protection, but through explaining personal stories of movement, the freedom they lacked is evident. (3)
Video Link
https://www.wevideo.com/view/1027220633
They were not free to act on the feelings they were experiencing. Once they reached these places many of them left their spouses or had affairs with other escaped homosexuals as well. The approach to understanding this movement and why these individuals had to live their life of lies were to ask the questions, “why did they leave Nazi Germany”, and “what happened when they got to their place of escape?”. There are not too many personal accounts of homosexuality documented about the holocaust because of protection, but through explaining personal stories of movement, the freedom they lacked is evident. (3)
Video Link
https://www.wevideo.com/view/1027220633
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Hitler's reign in Germany was in pursuit of the so called "Aryan Race". Men were supposed to be strong, and women, fertile. With over 1.2 million men in 1928 "out" in Germany, many were sent to mental hospitals and concentration camps for treatment. Bearing a pink symbol on their garments, gay men and women were seen as criminals under Hitler's reign in 1935.
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Sources
(1) Blank, Roman. The 65-Year-Old Secret That Bonded Two Jewish Refugees from Nazi Europe.
January 1948. Germany. January 31, 2017. Accessed October 22, 2017.
https://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2017/1/31/65-year-old-secret-bonded-two-jewish-refugees-nazi-europe.
(2) Hussey, Jules. "Annette Eick obituary." The Guardian. April 26, 2010. Accessed October 23,
2017. https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2010/apr/26/annette-eick-obituary.
(3) Scott, H. Allen. "Homosexuals fight in the Holocaust."
OUT. January 31, 2017. Accessed October 23, 2017.
https://www.out.com/out-exclusives/2017/1/31/65-year-old-secret-bonded-two-jewish-refugees-nazi-europe.
"The Gay Holocaust - we must NEVER forget." Welcome. Accessed November 29, 2017. http://www.stop-homophobia.com/thegayholocaust.htm.