Twin Peaks’ Pink Triangle

The Twin Peak Pink Triangle, when I looked upon it with my friends after walking back from the Pride Parade, washed over me a feeling of power and pride. In an instant, I felt connected to my community – past, present, and future. I wish others will feel it too.
To appreciate almost anything, one needs to know the history.
The History of the Pink Triangle (
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–The pink triangle was used by the Nazis in concentration camps to identify and shame homosexuals, who had to wear the symbol on their breast pockets.
–«Undesirable» groups of the time were given triangles of various colors (i.e., yellow for Jews, brown of Gypsies, red for political prisoners, green for criminals, black for anti-​socials, purple for Jehovah’s Witnesses, blue for immigrants, pink for homosexuals), with the pink triangle being slightly larger than the other groups.
–The pink triangles group received the harshest Nazi treatment and suffered at the hands of other inmates as well as the guards.
–After the war ended and the concentration camps were finally liberated, virtually all of the prisoners were released except those who wore the pink triangle. They were sent to other prisons and continued to suffer.
–Today, the gay community reclaimed the symbol as one of pride.
Since 1995, over a hundred volunteer every year put a pink triangle atop the Twin Peaks hill around Pride weekend. Though it was a «renegade crafts project» originally done in darkness, it is now embraced by the mayor and many of the city’s other elected officials.
For me, the Twin Peaks Pink Triangle is a symbol of pride, progress, and hope. The LGBT community has come a long way, but there is so much more progress to aim for and commit to promoting. It’s important to remain visible. Prop 8 highlights the hate that still exists towards the LGBT community and that hate breeds shame. Many struggle to come out and many suffer from having the strength to come out.
As a kid, I never thought I’d have to courage to come out to anyone. I was fortunate enough to find people to lend me strength and support.
Like the symbol atop Twin Peaks, I have come a long way, yet still have so much further to go.