This week marks 79 years since the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. However, for LGBT+ survivors, liberation did not begin in 1945. As the Allies freed thousands of concentration camp prisoners, some members of the community were forced back into prison.
For many decades, the experiences of LGBT+ prisoners were completely erased from history and their persecution continued long after WWII ended; for many their identity remained hidden and not recognised until after their deaths.
Between 1933 to 1945, an estimated 15,000 gay men were sent to concentration camps andhere still remains a lack of research into the experiences of the wider members of our LGBT+ community.
On Holocaust Memorial Day, as we pay respect to the 6 million victims, we recognise and remember the LGBT+ victims and their experiences. You will never be forgotten.
Andi Herring, CEO of the LCR Pride Foundation, said: “Today provides an opportunity to reflect and remember the experiences of LGBT+ people alongside the 6 million lives that were lost during the Holocaust. The brutal oppression and persecution of LGBT+ victims and the impact on survivors still has a lasting memory and impact today.
“LGBT+ people at that time and since remained strong in the face of adversity and fought not only for recognition, but for a better world for LGBT+ people.
“Today and everyday, we remember the lives and sacrifices of LGBT+ people during the Holocaust. It is imperative that we continue to resist all forms of prejudice that we encounter.”
