In an ominous political environment with the rise of homophobic and transphobic populist leaders across the world, it has never been more important to be aware of the persecution, courage and defiant resilience of people from the LGBTQ+ communities throughout history.
As the UK commemorates the 2025 LGBT+ History Month, we draw attention to a poignant and informative public lecture delivered by ReportOUT CEO Drew Dalton for LGBT+ History Month in 2021. Drew reflected on the LGBTQ+ communities’ terrible experiences under the Nazi regime in Germany and of LGBTQ+ genocide.
As Drew says in conclusion, “If we keep saying ‘Never Again’, then we really need to mean ‘Never Again’.”
Between 5,000 - 15,000 gay men were imprisoned in Nazi concentration camps, the majority of whom died as well as many people from the wider spectrum of the LGBTQ+ communities.
In his factual but chilling public lecture, Drew walks us through what it was like to experience Nazi concentration camps as an LGBTQ+ person, the 'eight stages of genocide' deployed by perpetrators and draws parallels with modern day persecution of LGBTQ+ communities. One example is Chechnya, Russia, when in 2021 it was discovered that gay men were being imprisoned in modern day 'concentration camps' just for their sexual orientation.
Chechnya, and more recent attacks on LGBTQ+ human rights around the world, including on the Trans community, are a stark reality check that we can never be complacent in this new age of populism where sexual and gender minorities are at constant risk of becoming easy scapegoats for wider social problems.
As Drew says in conclusion, “If we keep saying ‘Never Again’, then we really need to mean ‘Never Again’.”
View time 42 minutes.
More information on LGBT+ History Month UK - organised by Schools Out. https://lgbtplushistorymonth.co.uk/lgbt-history-month-2025/