The short answer is that when lesbians were arrested, they were arrested as members of other groups: The Nazis did not systematically prosecute or persecute lesbians solely because of their sexuality. Under the Nazi regime, there was no official law or policy prohibiting sexual relations between women. This is unlike the case of gay men. The Nazis classified prisoners in concentration camps into groups according to the reason for their imprisonment. By 1938, these groups were identified with various colored badges worn on camp uniforms. Men imprisoned for allegedly violating Paragraph 175 had to wear a pink triangle. The badge identified them as “homosexual” ( homosexuell ) according to the classification system. By eliminating gay and lesbian gathering places and presses, the regime effectively dissolved the lesbian communities that had developed during the Weimar Republic. Expanding the Persecution of Men Accused of Homosexuality Amanda Knox says women in her prison sought out each other’s company — and sex — in desperate bids for human connection. Picture: AP

Quentin Tarantino sparked renewed interest in this Spanish horror film, putting it on many of his top ten lists and naming a chapter of his “Kill Bill Vol. 1” book after it. DirectorVicente Aranda, the film attained cult status not only for its erotic horror themes, but for its rejection of fascism in Francoist Spain. Amanda Knox is comforted by her sister, Deanna Knox, in 2011. A stolen kiss from her prison friend ‘Leny’ was a step too far, she says. Picture: APThisSwedish / Swiss / German horror film was directed by sexploitation pioneer Joseph W. Sarno, who had a fruitful adult film career under various pseudonyms, working with Annie Sprinkle, Ron Jeremy, and Harry Reems (“Deep Throat”). A women’s cult resurrects their vampire queen, using the willing young vessel played by Swedish actress Marie Forså.

During the Weimar era, Germans publicly challenged gender and sexual norms. This was especially true in big cities such as Berlin, Hamburg, and Frankfurt am Main. Weimar’s Lesbian Networks and Communities There were German lesbians who took the risk of resisting the Nazi state for political and personal reasons. Some continued to seek out underground meeting places, especially in major cities. There were lesbians who joined underground anti-Nazi resistance groups or helped hide Jews. Arrest and Detention of Lesbians in Concentration CampsProlific Spanish filmmakerJesús Franco was known for stylish exploitation films, and cast his favorite leading lady Soledad Miranda (billed as Susann Korda)in what would be the fourth of eight collaborations between the two. Franco transposed Bram Stoker’s short story “Dracula’s Guest” to 1970s Istanbul, where Dracula’s heir sets her sights on American lawyer Linda (Ewa Strömberg). To encourage Aryan procreation, the Nazis adopted a variety of programs and laws. One example is the Lebensborn program. It encouraged Aryan women to have many children, even outside of marriage. At the same time, the Nazi regime tried to prohibit or limit the procreation of other supposedly inferior groups. In July 1933, a new law mandated sterilization of people with supposedly hereditary disabilities. Other laws, such as the 1935 Nuremberg Laws , defined who could have sex with whom. Her husband reacted surprisingly well too, suggesting that they enrol in therapy to help both of them exit their long-standing relationship. I took this as my cue to make a commitment and said I would move to the suburbs to be with her and her three children, once her husband had moved out.

Based on the French novella “Carmilla,” which would also inspire Hammer Films’ Karnstein Trilogy a decade later, “Blood and Roses” is notable for launching Roger Vadim’s fruitful collaboration with cinematographer Claude Renoir, who would later shoot Vadim’s cult classic, “Barbarella.” StarringMel Ferrer as Leopoldo De Karnstein and Elsa Martinelli as Georgia Monteverdi. Hirschfeld and others also sought to educate the public about sexuality. For example, they promoted Hirschfeld’s ideas that homosexuality is inborn and not a vice or perversion.In the office, nothing changed. Both of us swore not to tell anyone else. I dodged questions from friends about my relationship status like bullets - the lies were worth it for the delirium I felt when I was with her. Billed as an “appetizer” from the first of eight chapters of Nymphomaniac, the scene features Stacy Martin as a younger version of Joe ( Charlotte Gainsbourg) embarking on a mission to seduce a fellow passenger aboard a train. The Nazis believed that German women had a special task to perform: motherhood. According to Nazi logic, lesbians were women and should thus be mothers. They had a responsibility to give birth to racially pure Germans, called “ Aryans .” First-hand testimonies, memoirs, and diaries of former prisoners reveal that prisoners had sexual encounters with each other in concentration camps. According to these sources, sexual encounters ranged from consensual intimacies to prostitution to brutal sexual assault. Both heterosexual and same-sex relationships took place in the camps.

It was bad enough that the prison institution took ownership of my body―that I was caged and stripsearched on a regular basis and had already been sexually harassed by male guards.” It remains a research challenge to find historical sources related to lesbian experiences under the Nazi regime. Another difficulty is that very few lesbians shared testimonies about their experiences during this time. This is partially because the topic of sexual relations between women remained taboo for decades after the Nazi era. Large numbers of Germans were opposed to these public discussions of sex and sexuality. They viewed such debates as decadent, overly permissive, and immoral. Many were disturbed by the increased visibility of sex in advertising, film, and other aspects of daily life. For these Germans, gay and lesbian communities were one symbol of what they saw as the degeneration of German society. Perhaps it’s trite to say that “representation matters,” but some things are cliché because they’re true. The first time I ever saw lesbians onscreen was when my high school’s Gay Bisexual Straight Alliance played part of the first scene of the original L Word series. (The “sweet little figs” scene, in case you were wondering—the girls who get it get it.) Even so, it wasn’t until years later, when I first saw Blue Is the Warmest Color , that I actually found a queer story that reminded me of my own.Based on archival sources, it is clear that some lesbians were arrested and sent to concentration camps. What were some of the reasons for their arrest and detention, especially considering sexual relations between women were not illegal under the Nazi regime? In lesbian prisoners’ paperwork, camp authorities usually listed a racial, political, social, or criminal reason as the primary cause for their arrest. In a few cases, the authorities also noted their sexuality. Adolf Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933. Soon afterwards, Germany’s gay and lesbian communities came under pressure and scrutiny from the new regime. For men accused of homosexuality, this worsened over the course of the 1930s. They faced brutal persecution. Shutting Down Lesbian and Gay Meeting Places But even in cases when lesbians were arrested and sent to concentration camps, the records can be hard to find. One of the greatest challenges is that lesbians were rarely identified as such in official records from the Nazi era.