Queer Activism in Cold War Germany

Although the Nazi government imprisoned tens of thousands of queer people during its 12 years in power, Germany is today lauded as a leader in LGBTQ rights. This talk charts the country’s remarkable evolution in matters of sexuality, highlighting the brutal persecution that gay men and other queer groups continued to experience in the decades after World War II, as well as their remarkable liberation efforts during the Cold War’s later decades in both democratic West Germany and communist East Germany.

Dr. Samuel Clowes Huneke is an associate professor of history at George Mason University. His research focuses on the history of gender and sexuality in modern Germany. He is the author of numerous books and articles, including States of Liberation: Gay Men between Dictatorship and Democracy in Cold War Germany and A Queer Theory of the State.

This event is free and open to the public. It will take place in person and will also be livestreamed on zoom. Registration is required.

Please register to attend this talk in person.

Please register to view this talk on zoom

This talk is cosponsored by the Center for Inclusive Excellence, the Center for Civic Engagement, the Center for Justice and Liberation, and the History Department at Salem State as well as the North Shore Alliance for GLBTQ+ youth (NAGLY).