Communication with my grandfather: When speaking to my grandfather, who's dad was in the second world war, he had many stories to tell from what he had heard first hand. My great grandfather , Troy, was the tail gunner on a bomber in the army in the early 40's who was recorded for shooting down 6 1/2 German planes. He was originally in training to be a pilot in the army air core before the air force was invented and failed because he was color blind and could not land a plane at night. However I do not know where he did all of his serving, I do know that he spent a majority of his time in Northern Africa.
Another example of homosexual genocide: A wonderful comparison of this from of discrimination and genocide, however not anywhere near the same level, is Uganda. Like many countries, Uganda has laws against gay marriage, however it is on a different level, with things such as life in prison, or fines, or even execution, which is also common in middle eastern nations.
Literature (fictional) : "Gay Wasn't So Grim in 1940's Fiction" By: Bronski, Michael
Literature (non-fictional) : Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities: The Making of a Homosexual Minority in the United States, 1940–1970 By: John D’Emilio
Another example of homosexual genocide: A wonderful comparison of this from of discrimination and genocide, however not anywhere near the same level, is Uganda. Like many countries, Uganda has laws against gay marriage, however it is on a different level, with things such as life in prison, or fines, or even execution, which is also common in middle eastern nations.
Literature (fictional) : "Gay Wasn't So Grim in 1940's Fiction" By: Bronski, Michael
Literature (non-fictional) : Sexual Politics, Sexual Communities: The Making of a Homosexual Minority in the United States, 1940–1970 By: John D’Emilio
After viewing all of these horrific and scaring events from the holocaust and the treatment of homosexuals during the holocaust, I am completely astounded by what actually happened and took place. It never ceases to amaze me when i research the holocaust and find the atrocious crimes that were committed to all of the people that were deemed “enemies of the state”, such as Jews, homosexuals, mentally challenged, and “social unacceptable” people. As terrible as the treatment of Jews and the other groups of people were, homosexuals, especially men, were treated the absolute worst. For example, at the end of it all and when the concentration camps were freed and the victims received reparations, the homosexual men were denied these reparations and were not considered victims of the holocaust. In fact many of the homosexual victims were placed back into German prisons after the war was over and they were not aided by the allied forces, seeing as a majority of the American forces were Christians, which is a religion that frowns upon gay men and women.
The reason I chose the topic that I did is just to simply bring it the light that it deserves to be seens in, just as every other aspect of the holocaust does. I personally have studied the holocaust about five times, and it has taken until my junior year to hear that homosexuals were even discriminated against. I feel like this topic deserves to be learned about by everyone that is learning up the holocaust and that these victims need to be remembered and mourned for just as much as anybody else that feel to the hands of this genocide. This information has greatly changed my opinion on, not all of the holocaust, but most definitely parts of it. For example I didn’t even know this side of things existed, much less was as extreme and horrible as it is. I used to think that the holocaust was completely based around people of the Jewish faith and that they were the only group of people discriminated against or that took part in the genocide. However I now know that it was was not only people of Jewish faith but five main categories of hatred and discrimination, homesexuality being one of those main categories, with over 15,000 deaths in concentration camps.
As for my responsibility, I feel like that is to inform people as much as I can about this topic and to let people know that it really did happen and that it was just as bad, if not worse that what they could possible imagine. I honestly don't think that many people know that this did happen at the time and is still happening, in much more minor forms today in places like Uganda in the Middle East. Although these people are being murdered by the thousands, they are still spending their entire lives in prison and some even being sentenced to death for something that they can not control and were born with. A great example of why this discrimination is pointless is this, choosing to be gay is like choosing what you dominate hand is, right or left, you didn’t make that choice, you were born that way and that is who you are as a person.
The reason I chose the topic that I did is just to simply bring it the light that it deserves to be seens in, just as every other aspect of the holocaust does. I personally have studied the holocaust about five times, and it has taken until my junior year to hear that homosexuals were even discriminated against. I feel like this topic deserves to be learned about by everyone that is learning up the holocaust and that these victims need to be remembered and mourned for just as much as anybody else that feel to the hands of this genocide. This information has greatly changed my opinion on, not all of the holocaust, but most definitely parts of it. For example I didn’t even know this side of things existed, much less was as extreme and horrible as it is. I used to think that the holocaust was completely based around people of the Jewish faith and that they were the only group of people discriminated against or that took part in the genocide. However I now know that it was was not only people of Jewish faith but five main categories of hatred and discrimination, homesexuality being one of those main categories, with over 15,000 deaths in concentration camps.
As for my responsibility, I feel like that is to inform people as much as I can about this topic and to let people know that it really did happen and that it was just as bad, if not worse that what they could possible imagine. I honestly don't think that many people know that this did happen at the time and is still happening, in much more minor forms today in places like Uganda in the Middle East. Although these people are being murdered by the thousands, they are still spending their entire lives in prison and some even being sentenced to death for something that they can not control and were born with. A great example of why this discrimination is pointless is this, choosing to be gay is like choosing what you dominate hand is, right or left, you didn’t make that choice, you were born that way and that is who you are as a person.