LGBTQ+ Lives: WWII and the Nazi Era

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  • Nazi War on Homosexuals: Persecution of Gay Men Under Hitler

    During the Nazi era, thousands of gay men were arrested, tortured, and murdered simply for who they loved. Marked with the pink triangle, they endured inhuman experiments, brutal labor, and sexual abuse in concentration camps. This documentary uncovers their untold stories of their persecution an...

  • The Rise and Fall of Chinese Princess Who Spied for Japan: Yoshiko Kawashima

    Born a Qing dynasty princess, Yoshiko Kawashima was adopted by a Japanese spy and transformed into the infamous “Mata Hari of the Far East.” She seduced Chinese officials, manipulated the last emperor, and helped Japan conquer Manchuria. From glamour and power to betrayal and execution, witness t...

  • Cruel Experiments of Nazi Doctor Who Tried to “Cure” Homosexuality: Carl Værnet

    Carl Værnet, a Danish doctor, became notorious for his Nazi-backed experiments on homosexual prisoners in Buchenwald. Obsessed with creating an “artificial sex gland,” he tested his implants on inmates, leaving death and suffering behind. This film uncovers the story of medicine twisted into crue...

  • The Jewish Gay Hero Who Protected Auschwitz’s Children: Fredy Hirsch

    Fredy Hirsch, a Jewish athlete and youth leader, dedicated his life to protecting children during the Holocaust. In Auschwitz’s Theresienstadt family camp, he created the Children’s Block—an oasis of hope amidst horror. Through discipline, hygiene, and secret education, he shielded hundreds from ...

  • Lesbian & Jewish Nazi Collaborator Who Betrayed Friends and Family: Ans van Dijk

    Ans van Dijk, a Jewish woman from Amsterdam, began by helping Jews hide from the Nazis—but after her arrest in 1943, she turned collaborator. Disguised as a resistance member, she lured victims into traps, betraying 145 people, including friends and family. Convicted of 23 counts of treason, she ...

  • Lesbians Under Nazi Rule: Forgotten Victims of Persecution

    Under Nazi rule, lesbians in Germany faced surveillance, harassment, and fear. While not criminalized like male homosexuality, they were targeted for “weakening the Reich” and pressured into motherhood. Many hid their identity, some joined the resistance, and others perished in concentration camp...