Homomonument

The Homomonument is a memorial in the centre of Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. It commemorates all gay men and lesbians who have been persecuted because of their sexual orientation. Opened on 5 September 1987, it was the first monument in the world to commemorate gays and lesbians who were killed by the German Nazi regime.

The monument takes the form of three large pink triangles made of granite, set into the ground, which together compose a larger triangle. It is located on the bank of the Keizersgracht canal, near the historic Westerkerk church. The Homomonument was designed to "inspire and support lesbians and gays in their struggle against denial, oppression and discrimination."

During the Netherlands' annual Remembrance Day ceremony on 4 May, wreaths are laid on the monument to commemorate LGBT victims of persecution. A day later, on Liberation Day, the monument becomes the site of a street party.

Symbolism

The Homomonument is an abstract composition of three pink triangles made of granite. The symbol has historical roots; the pink triangle was a cloth badge used in Nazi concentration camps to identify men who had been jailed for homosexuality, which also included bisexual men and transgender women. It is estimated that 100,000 men were arrested and half of these spent time imprisoned during Nazi rule. Subsequently, the pink triangle became a symbol of the emancipation of the LGBT community and its struggle for its rights.

However, the Homomonument not only commemorates the victims of World War II, but all homosexual men and women who have been persecuted and murdered. The monument also honours those who have fought for the freedom and human rights of LGBTQ members. The designer of the monument, artist Karin Daan, described the symbolism of the monument as follows: