Halifax • Staff
In 1979, the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Rights Coalition declared an annual gay holiday, Pink Triangle Day, to be held every year on February 14. Their resolution begins: "We recognize the importance of making known our history, so much of which has been lost or stolen, and particularly of commemorating the victories of lesbians and gay men."
On Tuesday, February 10, Halifax Q historian Robin Metcalfe will present, live and online, a richly illustrated lecture about the pink triangle symbol and a century of history that led up to the creation of this annual event.
During World War II, tens of thousands of lesbian, gay and Trans people were exterminated by the Third Reich. A pink triangle (on "homosexual" men) and a black triangle (on "anti-social" women - which included lesbians) were used by the Nazis to identify, and persecute, people because of their sexual orientation or gender identity; just as a yellow star (two triangles - one inverted) was used to identify Jews. Today the black and pink triangles have been reclaimed by Queer and Trans people as symbols of pride and the struggle to overcome oppression, discrimination and prejudice.
The presentation begins with an overview of gay culture in Germany in the early 1900s and the use of the symbol by the Nazis during the Holocaust, and covers part of the history of gay rights in Canada and the movement in Halifax.
When: Tuesday, February 10, 7pm Atlantic time
- In person: StFX Art Gallery, Room 2002, Mulroney Hall, 2333 Notre Dame Ave, Antigonish
- Online: via this Teams link.
