Homosexuality During the Transition from Weimar Republic to Third Reich

Homosexual communities successfully formed prominent subcultures during the Weimar Republic for a multitude of reasons: scientific research and educational outreach to the public about the inborn nature of homosexuality, less strict media censorship laws, and a vague anti-sodomy law that was difficult to enforce led police to often prefer tolerance over prosecution. The Third Reich brought about a deep cultural shift that would prove incredibly harmful to the homosexual communities. While at first, homosexuals had not been a targeted group largely thanks to Hitler’s personal friendship with a gay Nazi named Ernst Röhm, the latter’s sexuality became the center of a targeted media attack against the Nazis and Röhm was eventually killed. After that, it became convenient for the Nazis to scapegoat homosexuals and use their prosecution and persecution to appease the Nazis’ morally conservative supporters. Furthermore, Heinrich Himmler’s personal agenda against homosexuals aligned with Hitler’s vision of a homogenous society