It became a symbol to fight against the stigma of HIV and AIDS in the late 1970s, which was a time when public discussions of putting gay men into camps and having the triangle tattooed on them to warn potential partners circled around at rapid rates. Gay-rights activists wore the triangle as a form of protest and reclamation of a symbol that was used to discriminate against people of the LGBTQ+ community. The triangle was known as the “die Rosa-Winkel” and it remains a solid part of LGBTQ+ history.Īwareness of the prisoners who had to wear these triangles during the Holocaust came to light in the 1970s, when the gay liberation movement was at large after the Stonewall riots in America. They were even labelled as “doll boys” by Nazi soldiers. Many had to endure testicular torture, conversion therapy, medical experiments, segregation, and more. Before the pink triangle became a worldwide symbol of gay power and pride, it was intended as a badge of shame. It is said that they served the most brutal experience. When Hitler took power in 1933, he launched a campaign to persecute gay people. Pink triangles were originally used in concentration camps to identify gay prisoners. Prisoners with the pink triangle were treated as the lowest of the low in concentration camps.
At the conclusion of World War II, the Allies came upon Nazi concentration camps.
Among the 11 million people who were taken and killed by Nazis, some were forced to wear upside-down pink triangle patches as an indicator that they were labeled as gay by Nazi soldiers whether they were Jewish or not. Before the Nazi era, Berlin had been home to a vibrant gay and lesbian culture. Each of the eight colors had a meaning: Pink: Sex. The origins of the pink triangle date back to the early 20th century during the Holocaust. Three years later, Milk challenges Baker to create a symbol for the gay community, and the end product is the first rainbow LGBTQ flag. The history of the Pink Triangles in particular has more examples than that of the Black Triangles and this is because of several important factors. In honor of Pride month, it’s time to break down some history behind the pink triangle that is often seen as a symbol of LGBTQ+ pride.