The Pink Triangle

The pink triangle is a widely-recognized symbol of gay pride and liberation, but its origins are rooted in oppression. Homosexuals were among those persecuted in Nazi Germany. They were arrested, placed in concentration camps, and targeted for extermination. Just as Jews were forced to wear a yellow Star of David, homosexuals were identified with pink triangles. A quarter of a million gay men and women died in places like Dachau. But even liberation by the Allied armies didn't bring freedom. Often, gay prisoners were forced by their liberators to serve out their sentences in prison. Today, the pink triangle serves as a reminder of that suffering; a symbol of struggle, remembrance, and pride.