Nazi Symbol for Gays, Now Reclaimed, Towers Over San Francisco
If there is any year to go bigger and bolder with a declaration of love for LGBTQ+ people, San Francisco activists believe this is it.
The 28-year tradition of unfurling a giant pink triangle — a symbol forced upon queer concentration camp prisoners during the Holocaust — across San Francisco's Twin Peaks viewpoint is even more prominent this Pride season. This year's triangle, made of cloth and canvas and festooned with pink lights at its edges, is nearly an acre long and can be seen 20 miles away, the Associated Press reports.
The larger triangle honors the constant vitriol and legislative attacks against LGBTQ+ people, from boycotts of pro-LGBTQ+ marketing campaigns to Florida's "don't say gay" law to bans on gender-affirming care occurring from Missouri to Montana. The pink triangle was reclaimed by the queer community, especially ACT UP activists fighting for HIV resources, decades ago.
The display, up until July 1, is organized by the Friends of the Pink Triangle, with the group's leader saying the political attacks against the community are backlash to marriage equality and increasing trans visibility. The group is determined to not shirk away in light of the anti-LGBTQ+ movement, but instead declare the community is more determined than ever to achieve equality and respect.
“Our lives are very under threat right now, particularly Black and brown transgender people," volunteer Maureen Futtner told the AP. “And I just feel like I need to be active and out and proud.”
