Dr. Jake Newsome. (Photo courtesy of Valdosta State University)
ST. PETERSBURG | The Florida Holocaust Museum will host LGBTQ+ historian Dr. Jake Newsome March 14 from 6:30-8 p.m. for a special presentation, highlighting his book “Pink Triangle Legacies: Coming Out in the Shadow of the Holocaust” and more.
The FHM is one of only three nationally accredited Holocaust museums. It will welcome Dr. Newsome as a part of its work to teach others “the inherent worth and dignity of human life in order to prevent future genocides.”
“Dr. Newsome will trace the history of the pink triangle from a Nazi concentration camp badge to a widespread emblem of queer liberation, pride and community,” FHM announced in a press release Feb. 20. “He draws from archival sources and original interviews as he shares stories of those who found meaning in the pink triangle in a post-Holocaust world.”
“While Jewish people were the primary victims of the Nazis’ racial policies and murderous activity, homosexuals were also targeted,’” added Michael Igel, FHM’s board chairman. “The Museum is dedicated to remembering all victims of the Holocaust, and Dr. Newsome’s work is a vital partner in honoring lives lost in the queer community.”
An award-winning scholar, Dr. Newsome’s work has been published in academic journals and national outlets like The Washington Post. He currently works as a museum professional in Washington, D.C. and published “Pink Triangle Legacies” in 2022.
His book “provides an overview of the Nazis’ targeted violence against LGBTQ+ people and details queer survivors’ fraught and ongoing fight for the acknowledgement, compensation and memorialization of LGBTQ+ victims,” it’s officially described. “Within this context, a new generation of queer activists used the pink triangle — a reminder of Germany’s fascist past — as the visual marker of gay liberation, seeking to end the practice of second-class citizenship by asserting they had the right to express their queer identity openly.
“The reclamation of the pink triangle occurred first in West Germany, but soon activists in the USA adopted this chapter of German history as their own,” its synopsis continues. “As gay activists on opposite sides of the Atlantic grafted pink triangle memories into new contexts, they connected two national communities and helped form the basis of a shared gay history, indeed a new gay identity, that transcended national borders.”
Dr. Newsome’s book also inspired the creation of the Pink Triangle Legacies Project. The nonprofit initiative launched Jan. 27, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, to honor “the memory of the Nazis’ queer victims and [carry] on their legacy by fighting homophobia and transphobia today through education, empowerment and advocacy.”
The historian said the timing wasn’t a coincidence, citing “a staggering rise in antisemitism, homophobia, and transphobia across the world.”
“Our motto is ‘Queer History for Queer Liberation,’” he shared via social media. “While we’re working to liberate our history from erasure, we’re also working to liberate our communities from fear, stigma and persecution. The history of the pink triangle shows us how far homophobia and transphobia can go. It’s up to us to decide how far we let it go today.”
“The pink triangle is just one among several badges denoting enemies of the state,” he also noted. “To me, the lesson is that the work of queer liberation must be committed to the liberation of other marginalized groups. Solidarity is a strength.”
Dr. Newsome is expected to discuss this and more during his FHM presentation. The evening will also include a Q&A and book signing.
Dr. Jake Newsome’s special presentation will take place March 14 from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Florida Holocaust Museum, located at 55 Fifth St. S. in St. Petersburg. Exhibition and event attendance is $5 or no cost for FHM members.
Learn more and RSVP at TheFHM.org. For more information about Dr. Newsome, visit WJakeNewsome.com.
