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History isn’t always pretty, but for those of us in the queer community, it’s our backbone. It’s why we do what we do at Read with Pride: because every story, whether it’s a spicy MM romance or a heavy historical account, deserves to be heard. Today, we’re taking a step back from our usual gay book recommendations to talk about a symbol that went from a mark of death to a badge of defiance: the Pink Triangle.
If you’ve ever walked through the streets of Berlin or Vienna, you’ve probably felt that electric, queer energy. These cities are hubs for gay literature and culture today. But beneath the neon lights of the bars and the shelves of LGBTQ+ fiction, there’s a somber history that we can never afford to forget. During World War II, the Nazi regime didn’t just target people for their faith or ethnicity; they went after our community with a systematic cruelty that still chills the bone.
The Marking of the "Damnedest of the Damned"
In the concentration camps, the Nazis were obsessed with categorization. They had a color-coded system for everything. If you were a political prisoner, you wore red. If you were a "habitual criminal," you wore green. But if you were a man accused of homosexuality under Paragraph 175, you were forced to wear a downward-pointing pink triangle (Rosa Winkel).
While the yellow star is the most recognized symbol of the Holocaust, the pink triangle represented a very specific kind of hell. Between 6,000 and 10,000 men were forced to wear this badge. But here’s the kicker: their mortality rate was astronomical. Around 65% of "pink triangle" prisoners died in the camps. Why? Because they weren’t just being persecuted by the SS; they were often ostracized by fellow prisoners too. In a place where survival depended on small networks of support, gay men were frequently left completely isolated.
One survivor famously called his peers the "damnedest of the damned." They were given the most back-breaking labor, less food, and were the primary targets for "medical" experiments aimed at finding a "cure" for homosexuality. It’s the kind of history that makes you hug your favorite gay romance novels a little tighter, knowing the freedom we have to read and write them was paid for in blood.
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Beyond the Pink Triangle: Lesbians and Trans People
While gay men had a specific badge, the story of queer women and trans individuals during the Holocaust is often "hidden" in the archives. Lesbians were mostly sent to Ravensbrück, the women’s camp. Because the Nazi legal code focused primarily on male-to-male acts, lesbians were often classified as "asocials" and forced to wear black triangles.
Trans and gender non-conforming people faced a similar erasure, usually classified by the sex they were assigned at birth. Their stories are harder to find in the history books, which is why at Read with Pride, we advocate so hard for queer fiction and gay novels that explore the full spectrum of our identity. These people existed, they suffered, and they resisted in their own ways.
The Silence After the Storm
You’d think that after the camps were liberated in 1945, everyone got to go home and start over, right? Sadly, for the survivors of the pink triangle, the nightmare didn’t end with the fall of the Reich.
Because Paragraph 175 remained on the books in both East and West Germany for decades, many gay men who survived the camps were simply transferred to regular prisons to finish their "sentences." They weren't recognized as victims of the Holocaust. They didn't get restitution. They lived in silence, afraid that if they told their stories, they’d be arrested all over again. It wasn’t until 1994 that Paragraph 175 was fully struck down. That’s why we see so few memoirs from this era compared to other groups: the law literally silenced a generation of our elders.
If you're interested in how we keep these stories alive today through modern publishing, check out Publishing with Pride.
Memorializing the Lost in Berlin and Vienna
Today, the cities that once saw this persecution have become leaders in memorializing it.
Berlin: The Memorial to Homosexuals Persecuted Under Nazism
Located in the lush Tiergarten, right across from the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, stands a large concrete stele. At first glance, it looks like a simple gray block. But when you look through a small window in the side, a film plays on a loop showing two men kissing. It’s a powerful, silent protest against the erasure of gay love. It’s a must-visit for anyone who values gay literature and the right to exist openly.
Vienna: Homomonument and the Rainbow Spirit
Vienna has its own deep, complicated history with queer life. The city has worked hard to integrate its past into its present, with various plaques and temporary installations that honor those who were lost. Walking through Vienna today, you see a city that embraces LGBTQ+ romance and life, a stark contrast to the darkness of the 1940s.
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From Shame to Pride: Reclaiming the Symbol
In the 1970s, something incredible happened. Instead of letting the pink triangle remain a symbol of victimhood, activists reclaimed it. During the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis, the organization ACT UP used an upright pink triangle with the words "SILENCE = DEATH."
They took the badge that was meant to mark us for death and turned it into a shout for life. Today, you see the pink triangle on pins, t-shirts, and even in the logos of popular gay books. It’s a reminder that we are still here, we are resilient, and we aren't going back into the shadows.
Why We Tell These Stories
You might wonder why a publisher focused on MM romance books and gay love stories is talking about such a heavy topic. The truth is, we can’t have the "happily ever afters" of 2026 without acknowledging the "once upon a times" that were stolen.
Writing and reading gay historical romance is an act of reclamation. When an author writes a story about two men finding love in a time when it was forbidden, they are giving a voice to the thousands who were forced into silence. Whether you’re looking for steamy MM romance or heartfelt gay fiction, every book you read from a queer author is a victory for the community.
If you're looking for your next read, whether it's an MM fantasy or a gay contemporary romance, browse our sitemap to find a story that speaks to you. We believe in the power of the written word to heal, to educate, and to celebrate.
Never Forget, Always Read with Pride
As we move forward into 2026, let’s carry the memory of the pink triangle with us. Not as a weight, but as a reminder of our strength. Supporting queer authors and platforms like Readwithpride.com ensures that our history: both the tragic and the triumphant: is never erased again.
Stay proud, stay informed, and keep reading.
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