Exhibit reveals horrors gay men faced at Hitler’s hands Jane Muder Pye Noletate” w the term synenymeus wth the Werld War Thera esterminatin of approximately S'mailion Jews of Buropean devennt. But other mi hovity groupe lao wes eentenced to gum fites—by labor or gas chamber-umcor the rerio af Ade Hitler indluing oles, Gypsies ard honoseals, Homoveauala especially men, fared que badly under that totalitarian state but te fate of Gora: y's homosexual community under a wartine Nu ‘gine often wont unmontioned in scholarly Helo List fear ee iw, this Toser-kaown part of history kas been Irouptt to ife at the Jewish Community Oster Squireel Hil. Nasi Perveution of Homeveeuats 190 2349, 4 craving photngrapate exhibie on Toan feo the United States Holocaust Menor Kaufmann Building of the JOC through Foo. 6. Its proximity tothe entrance ofthe JOC's lecture rooms nd ities facies makes #0 major conversaten eco; individuals entering the bulding for castes or Rorkout sessions saninet Holy but note ‘Until 1694, Germany's Criminal Code contained nected in May 181, Secon 115 ofthe ode de. ouneed gay male activity. The Nazi rise t» pover ‘ade te sede’ tenets far more pernicious, because fecorcing 1 Hence TH 1986, Geemany's Criminel Cole condemned All socalled “Towa sets among men, definition {hat broadened the range ef verioten behaviors far feyontmaeonimale contact Ths yas expecially ironie because Rent Fal, a o-ounder of the Nast wre regarded an deviant. anda area rugs & furniture up to 50% off Sturmabtelung—or “stormtroopers;” whieh fane jonel as a paramilitary organization of the German avi party and played a key role in Hitler's rie to powor-was kngwn t be x bomosmaal, Hilor had oh removed from yower and killed in 194, ‘AL this ime, the Gestapo, or Nad seret alee, bbogan to ound up Hemoserual men convict of Ve lating Section 175, entercing them to pron cr 10 Srork amps. To be sontersod em work camp was tte a fats worse than death: Mien suffered brutal, {nhutian working conditions, and many siod from their prostatiors: One paral ofthe Nazi Prseution fxhtle cuines this once play “Honeseiale {in those camps were almort aways ssid to the Worst and most dangerous work” anit offers stark testament Lo dhe polite ¢al gimate of Nas Germany. Displiyed. on erg, space nthe JCC's Kaufmann Building tho collection of blck-and-whte photographs inclules petures of ‘lets, their tetalitarian oppressors andthe cendie tions to which the men were subjected daring the “Those viowing the exhibit ea follow the logacios of these vietima as they unfolded; the photor are doc Signed to be viewed chronologlelly, from the Nazi fakoorer cf Germany to the Holocaust’ sobering ‘teermath A prose kt includes biographies of nde “Vidal vic petnced on stock cards so that viewers an bevense beteor sequainted mith the indivi Stories of gay Holocaust vietims. Stephen Zapcie, a member of the, Holocust, Commission of Pitburgh, was fascinated by the ‘exhibit since he saw it several years ago in Wash IDC. He rememtored an earlier Holocaust it ad been on display at the Universtiy of ‘tues jan 02~thur jan 31 2008 DYYSISSLIOUSE, os sane sens j nsec Pittburgh in 1987: Auschwite—A Chine Against ‘Mankind, whigh refered to other, wonedowinl vee {ms ofthe Holcaust The exhibit was datibuted by the Auechits State Mitesum in Poland “tine Holocaust material vas mostly from Eu. ope—there was far loss material {ip the United StStes" sys Zupere, who serves on the committee for this exhibit. "It cither hadn't been trandated ‘to English or simply wasnt evalatle, ‘On Now. 27, the Puleburgh Post-Gazette quoted Holceaust Contar Director Baio Nivel, a eating thatthe exhibit was “unprecedented” ‘and that "There's nover been anything else lke it, certainly not this country. TTecal businetssan Nachun Golan agrees. The cownet of Nachum Golan Invrors Is a committee ‘hale with a singular connection tothe extibi. “ify parents survived the Holeeust. and, en my mother and father fad. it's @ ‘very persmal involvement,” he says, ediing, “The tos: Important thing i that the donich cominanty Here in Ptsburgh is willng to show a controversial fin very exeltag exhibition ‘apes belioves thet this exibit teaches a Isson from which many palit! oppressors worldwide ean {earn ode Srther's ail an enormous amount of discrimi nation tat fare or sce He ae ad By ‘Tiinatonond prosecution shat which eroren the Tine into’statesponsored imprisonment and mur der-you can eet clearer view of your own sit ton ‘ops ctes the curtent pltcal clint of ran ne hich moony fap ao nt nik ‘usgoty rather thin face exseution Tor i tele of sodomy,” as one example of Stes pole! perseition 4s a nation, Germaty didnot ronfrent the hor ors of ts gay male persecution until 1094, when Paragraphs £58. wow expunged from. the Cimon Code. Ae a recult, there wae itl. poet-Holeaust fvidenco ot tistimony cf the hoerore tamosnaaly faced turder Itlers regime. Zupee saye that ell Into the 1960s, Genman homosextas preseeutad un. tier Parograph 175 wore reluctant tcome forward find share their Holos expeioness, Pittsburgh's Lambda Foundation, «, now-peofit organization providing rants ané scholarships. to ‘ta GLBT projects, tt Ingest monetary sappoe ter ofthe Nast Persecution eatbit, additional fund Ing wen provided by the sesrish Healthesre Founda tion and by indvidval donors Despite 6 dase subject matter, cupportrs be liowe the exhibit provides hope for a Tie Sree of hot crimes and dierimsnatin, ‘The pest Hobseaust theaglte of Hart Lango, one of the men proseuted lunlor Paragraph 375, sre reprinted on ane of the pres ii’ sek cards! “the homosexuals did not {isappeaesimoly because the Nazis wanted them to ‘Though i tovk him unt tae 1063s to find paaing ‘work in Gestmana nefarious egneequence of Part eph 175 cenvicton sgma-Lange survived the Holocaut to shares story wih the ord, Tho survivors and the sasvaties both pisced together the hidden stores of gay Holocaetvitins, The presentation of Nat Persecution of Homosevuats 1uisiois te Pivsburgh te a tstament to these ‘man’s legacies. [Nasi Persecution of Homosexuals 1988-1945 is resented by the Holocaust Canter of Pitebrgh and fie American sesssh Mes of the Jeussh Comte nity Cester tough Feb. 6. Por more information, all 2481-10000 See “Out end About” om poge fora schedule of related activites. OUT + JANUARY 2008» PAGE 14