The Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine welcomes Dr. Jake Newsome on the evening of Tuesday, March 5th for a virtual talk entitled “They’re Enemies of the State!” The Fate of LGBTQ+ People Under Nazi Rule.
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
6:30pm – 8:00 pm
Online
Drawing on archival material, Dr. Jake Newsome sketches the lived experiences of members of the German LGBTQ+ community under Nazi rule. In doing so, he untangles the complex motivations that convinced Nazi leaders that combating homosexuality was vital to the success of the Third Reich. The result was the destruction of the vibrant gay communities that had emerged during the Weimar years, and the targeting, torture, and murder of tens of thousands of gay Germans. And while the Holocaust ended with the defeat of Nazi Germany in May 1945, gay survivors soon learned that the era of state sanctioned persecution was not over.
Dr. Jake Newsome is an award-winning scholar of German and American LGBTQ+ history whose research and resources educate global audiences. He is the founder and director of the Pink Triangle Legacies Project, which honors the memory of the Nazis’ queer victims and carries on their legacy by fighting homophobia and transphobia today through education, advocacy, and empowerment. His book, Pink Triangle Legacies: Coming Out in the Shadow of the Holocaust (Cornell University Press) traces the transformation of the pink triangle from a Nazi concentration camp badge into a widespread emblem of LGBTQ+liberation, pride, and community. In addition to serving as a historical advisor for film projects, exhibits, and plays, Newsome has been invited by the French, UK, and US governments to speak about the important lessons that LGBTQ+ history has for all of us today. He works as a museum professional and currently lives with his husband and son in San Diego.
This event is open to anyone who wants to attend (all students, faculty, staff, and the general public). FMI: hhrcmaine.org