The persecution of homosexuals in Nazi Germany was a priority of the Nazi police state. Before 1933, homosexual acts were illegal in Germany but a thriving gay culture existed. Nazi persecution of homosexuals peaked prior to World War II. Between 1933 and 1945, an estimated 100,000 men were arrested. Those arrested were presumed guilty, and subjected to harsh interrogation and torture to elicit a confession. Their death rate has been estimated at 60 percent, a higher rate than other prisoner groups. Nazi Germany's persecution of homosexuals is considered to be the most severe episode in a long history of discrimination and violence targeting sexual minorities. After the war, homosexuals were initially not counted as victims of Nazism because homosexuality continued to be illegal in Nazi Germany's successor states. Few survivors came forward to discuss their experiences. This changed during the gay liberation movement of the 1970s, and the pink triangle was reappropriated as an LGBT symbol.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_homosexuals_in_Nazi_Germany
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1820:
A Russian expedition led by the naval officers Fabian Gottlieb von Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev made the first sighting of the coast of Antarctica. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antarctica
1945:
The Soviet Red Army liberated about 7,000 prisoners left behind by the Nazis in Auschwitz concentration camp (entrance pictured), in Oświęcim, Poland. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auschwitz_concentration_camp
1974:
Brisbane, Australia, was flooded when the Brisbane River broke its banks. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1974_Brisbane_flood
2003:
The first selections for the United States National Recording Registry were announced by the Library of Congress. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Recording_Registry
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
mulga wire: 1. (Australia, New Zealand) 2. An informal gossip network, especially in a rural area such as the outback; also, a component in the network (either a person or an imagined wire). 3. A message or story transmitted through such an informal network, especially one containing false information. 4. (Australia, historical) A system for long-distance communication used by Aboriginal Australians, chiefly using smoke signals; also, a message or signal sent using such a system. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/mulga_wire
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
What it takes to do a job will not be learned from management courses. It is principally a matter of experience, the proper attitude, and common sense — none of which can be taught in a classroom … Human experience shows that people, not organizations or management systems, get things done. --Hyman G. Rickover https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover