A Pink Triangle

05/21/2026

Imagine surviving the horrors of a concentration camp… only to be considered a criminal.

When we think of the liberation of 1945, we think of freedom, victory, justice. But for the men forced to wear the pink triangle, the nightmare didn’t end when the camp gates opened.

Under Paragraph 175, a law the Allies chose to leave on the books, homosexuality remained a crime. Because of this, the survivors of the pink triangle were denied reparations, excluded from official memorials, and some were transferred from concentration camps to prisons to serve out the rest of their sentences.

Their stories were erased, ignored, suppressed for decades because speaking out meant risking re-arrest.

History is complex and justice not always swift.

Had you heard about the post-liberation history of the Paragraph 175 victims?

Featuring excerpts from “Why It Took Decades for LGBTQ Stories to Be Included in Holocaust History” by Andrea Carlo

Carlo, Andrea. “How LGBTQ Victims Were Erased From Holocaust History.” Time, 7 Apr. 2021, time.com/5953047/lgbtq-holocaust-stories/.

05/15/2026

For more than 120 years, Paragraph 175 of the German Criminal Code criminalized male homosexuality. Introduced in 1871 and intensified under the N**i regime, the law was used to persecute, imprison, and murder thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals.

Between 1933 and 1945, over 100,000 men were arrested under this law. Around 15,000 were sent to concentration camps. Many never returned.

Even after the fall of N**i Germany, Paragraph 175 remained in effect for decades. It wasn’t fully repealed until 1994. Survivors were left without recognition or justice for far too long.

We remember those whose lives were stolen, silenced, and erased. Their stories matter. Their history is ours to carry forward.

Sources:

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/paragraph-175

BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40432737

Federal Agency for Civic Education (bpb, German)
https://www.bpb.de/themen/zeitgeschichte/nationalsozialismus/paragraph-175/

Holocaust Encyclopedia https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/gay-men-under-the-nazi-regime

05/14/2026

Magnus Hirschfeld (14 May 1868 – 14 May 1935) was a pioneering figure in the early fight for LGBTQ+ rights. He founded the Institute of Sexology in 1919, an academic foundation devoted to sexological research and the advocacy of homosexual rights.

During its existence, thousands of patients were seen and treated, often for free. The Institute also achieved a global reputation for its pioneering work on tr*******al understanding and calls for equality for homosexuals, transgender people and women.

Hirschfield himself was a passionate advocate for homosexual rights and had long appealed for the repeal of Paragraph 175, the law that criminalized homosexuality in Germany.

Jewish, gay and outspokenly liberal, Hirschfeld was an obvious target for the N**is, and the seizure and destruction of the institute on 6 May took place only three months after Hi**er was made Chancellor of Germany. During the attack and subsequent book burning, Hirschfeld was working in Paris. He saw the burning of his own library in a news report at the cinema.

Hirschfeld’s work laid the groundwork for future LGBTQ+ advocacy. Today, on both his birthday and death day, we honor his contributions to human rights, his fight for equality, and the ongoing journey toward justice for all.

Source: Holocaust Memorial Day Trust

05/13/2026

Erased by history. Now center stage.

The Pink Triangle was once used to mark and marginalize, a symbol of a past many tried to forget. In this work of historical fiction, we revisit a chapter of 20th-century history not just to remember the tragedy, but to witness the enduring strength of the human spirit.

This production is more than a play; it is an act of reclamation. It is a tribute to those who were forced into the shadows and a reminder that their stories deserve to be told with dignity and truth.

Be part of this necessary conversation. Join us for a journey through a forgotten past and experience a narrative that is as vital today as it was decades ago.

Performances are limited. Secure your seats through the link in our bio.

Tickets and Showtimes
June 26-28, 2026
The District Theater
Indianapolis, MN

StagePlay HistoryMatters LGBTQHistory NewTheatre MinnesotaArts

05/12/2026

I stumbled upon this by accident in Mainz, Germany, housed within walls dedicated to the enduring power of the printed word. It is a German teen magazine from 1963, a fragile artifact of a different era.

It’s pages discuss the law that once criminalized homosexuality, one that didn’t lift until 1969. A poignant reminder that while Gutenberg’s press gave us the freedom to share ideas, it also meticulously recorded the long, difficult climb toward the freedom to exist.

05/10/2026

Pierre Seel was 17 when the N**is arrested him in Alsace for being gay. At Schirmeck camp, he was tortured and forced to watch his partner killed by dogs.

He stayed silent for decades, afraid of the homophobia that remained. In 1994, he broke that silence with I, Pierre Seel, Deported Homosexual—one of the only firsthand accounts of N**i persecution of gay men.

The bravery to come forward and tell his story will create positive ripples seen and felt for generations. He dedicated the rest of his life to bearing witness—so that others who were silenced would be remembered.

Artwork by

Sources:
I, Pierre Seel, Deported Homosexual (1994)
US Holocaust Memorial Museum

04/18/2026

INDIANA PREMIERE: A PINK TRIANGLE

They tried to erase them. We will never forget.

Join us for the Indiana premiere of A Pink Triangle, a gripping new play presented by CANDLES Holocaust Museum and Education Center.

Set within the harrowing confines of a N**i concentration camp, this drama captures the final hour between an intolerant father and his gay son. It shines a vital light on the Pink Triangle victims—the thousands of gay men persecuted by the N**i regime whose stories were suppressed for decades.

Don’t miss the Indiana Premiere. Get your tickets today: https://indydistricttheatre.vbotickets.com/event/%60a_pink_triangle%60_by_kirby_taylor__they_tried_to_erase_them._we’ll_never_forget._presented_by_candles_holocaust_museum/191892

01/06/2026

Congratulations to our Lars, co-lead of the 2025 run of A Pink Triangle, David Michaeli, on his nomination for Favorite Emerging Artist!

01/03/2026

Thank you to Cherry and Spoon for including A Pink Triangle in their favorites list!

We’re so proud of the 2025 run, crafted by an amazing group of talented local artists.

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