"While conducting research in the Berlin regional archives in 2015, he stumbled upon four files detailing the lives of women turned over to the Nazis for their sexuality. These documents challenged the historical misconception that the Third Reich was indifferent to lesbians. What began as a single journal article evolved into a decade-long quest through archives across Germany, uncovering a complex spectrum of persecution and bold resistance."
"Scholars had prioritized the archival trails of gay men, tens of thousands of whom perished inconcentration camps. By meticulously piecing together fragmented records, Huneke created a moving and tragic portrait of queer women who navigated the terrors of fascism with resilience. In writing I Will Not Abandon You, Huneke confronted gaps in how history had been told."
"There are universities around the country where students and scholars studying gender and sexuality are being censored or fired. I am extraordinarily lucky to be teaching on a college campus where that is not happening. But it is happening elsewhere, and it is frightening."
Archival research uncovered four files in Berlin detailing the lives of women turned over to Nazis for their sexuality. The findings challenged the misconception that the Third Reich ignored lesbians and expanded understanding of persecution beyond earlier focus on gay men. Scholars had largely prioritized records of gay men who died in concentration camps, leaving queer women less documented. By piecing together fragmented records across Germany over a decade, a detailed portrait emerged of queer women navigating fascism with resilience and resistance. The work also addressed gaps in how history had been told, especially regarding gender and sexuality under Nazi rule.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]