LGBT History Trivia:Question 3!?

Question

When (what year) and for what purpose was the Pink Triangle first used as a symbol of homosexuality?

Answer 1

It was used by the Nazis to label homosexuals as such.

I believe it started in 1933

Answer 2

The pink triangle has become one of the symbols of the modern gay rights movement, but it originated in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. In many camps, prisoners wore badges. These badges were colored based upon the reason for imprisonment. In one common system, men convicted for sexual deviance, including homosexuality wore a pink triangle. The icon has been reclaimed by many in the post-Stonewall gay rights movement as a symbol of empowerment, and, by some, a symbol of rememberance to the suffering of others during a tragic time in history.
Started in 1933.

Answer 3

The pink triangle has become one of the symbols of the modern gay rights movement, but it originated in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. In many camps, prisoners wore badges. These badges were colored based upon the reason for imprisonment. In one common system, men convicted for sexual deviance, including homosexuality wore a pink triangle. The icon has been reclaimed by many in the post-Stonewall gay rights movement as a symbol of empowerment, and, by some, a symbol of rememberance to the suffering of others during a tragic time in history.

Answer 4

Pink Triangle



As most everyone knows, the pink triangle is a symbol taken directly from the Nazi concentration camps. Usually when concentration camps and Nazis are mentioned, most people tend to think of Jews and the Jewish Holocaust (for good reason). But the fact that a large number of homosexual prisoners were in those same camps is an often ignored or overlooked fact of history.

The real story behind the pink triangle begins prior to World War II. Paragraph 175, a clause in German law, prohibited homosexual relations (much like many states in the U.S. today have laws against "crimes of nature"). In 1935, during Hitler's rise to power, he extended this law to include homosexual kissing, embracing, and even having homosexual fantasies. An estimated 25,000 people were convicted under this law between 1937 and 1939 alone. They were sent to prisons and later concentration camps. Their sentence also included sterilization, most commonly in the form of castration. In 1942, Hitler extended the punishment for homosexuality to death.

Prisoners in Nazi concentration camps were labeled according to their crimes by inverted colored triangles. "Regular" criminals were denoted by a green triangle, political prisoners by red triangles and Jews by two overlapping yellow triangles (to form the Star of David, the most common Jewish symbol). Homosexual prisoners were labels with pink triangles. Gay Jews- the lowest form of prisoner- had overlapping yellow and pink triangles. This system also created a social hierarchy among the prisoners, and it has been reported that the pink triangle prisoners often received the worst workloads and were continually harassed and beaten by both guards and other prisoners.

Although homosexual prisoners were not shipped en mass to the Aushwitz death camps like so many of the Jewish prisoners, there were still large numbers of gay men executed there along with other non-Jewish prisoners. The real tragedy though occurred after the war. When the Allies defeated the Germany and the Nazi Regime, the political and remaining Jewish prisoners were released from the camps (the regular criminals- murderers, rapists, etc.- were not released for obvious reasons). The homosexual prisoners were never released though because Paragraph 175 remained West German law until 1969. So these innocent men watched as their fellow prisoners were set free, but remained prisoners for 24 more years.

In the 1970s, the pink triangle started to be used in conjunction with the gay liberation movement. When people, especially public figures such as law makers, were confronted with such a symbol, they risked being associated with the Nazis if he or she were to attempt to openly limit or prosecute gays. In the 1980s, when the triangle's popularity truly began to take off, ACT-UP (AIDS Coalition To Unleash Power) adopted the it as their symbol, but turned it upright to suggest an active fight rather than passive resignation. I've also been told that some people wear their triangles pointing up if they personally know somebody who has tied of AIDS. In any case, the pink triangle is definitely a symbol very closely connected to oppression and the fight against it, and stands as a vow never to let another Holocaust happen again. Like the word "queer," it is a symbol of hate which has been reclaimed and now stands for pride.

Answer 5

The pink triangle was first used in Germany under Hitler's Nazi regime. Prisoners in Nazi concentration camps were labeled accodring to their "crimes" by various colored symbols, such as the yellow (for treacherous aggression) star of david for Jews. Homosexual prisoners wore the pink triangle. Its association with the modern gay movement began in the 1970s.

Answer 6

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Answer 7

Just as the yellow star of david was used to identify jews, the pink triangle was used by the nazis to identify homosexuals during the holocaust.

Answer 8

Hmm interesting question. I concur to all the people answering. But this prompted a question in my mind, and anyone reading please kindly answer....My thinking was that the Nazi regime actually looked favorably to those who were homosexuals.Since many of those in the SS were actually homosexuals...the reason that I say that is a book I read called "The Pink Swastika"....was this book mostly fallacy? Anyone read it? Sorry to butt in but I thought your question was very cool.

Answer 9

I believe it was used by Nazi Germany to 'mark' homosexuals, and particularly men. I believe it was pointed 'down' to mark them, but later the gay/lesbian movement turned it up.

Answer 10

I only know (maybe) part of it. It was in the concentration camps in WWII from that evil Hitler maniac.
Somebody smarter and better informed will know the correct answer, I just wanted to play.....