Homophobia is a word which is slightly improperly constructed. Homo, homini is Latin, the third declination in the nominative singular, which means the people. A phobia, which comes from Greek, is the nominative singular one and masculine word, ‘ο θοβος, from the 1st declination, which means fear. So, the word “homophobia” means the fear of a human.

Humans are to be feared. The amount of destruction it has caused to itself as species. It has always discriminated against those who did not qualify for any given time, by a random body of established by the so-called norms and rules of behaviour. A good example of this is the outright repression experienced by homosexuals.

My mind wills inevitably wanders to the story of a Frenchman named Pierre Seel and his life story. He had to look at the concentration camp when dogs tore his boyfriend to death.

He was subjected to unimaginable torture and shame. Seel told that a frayed piece of the board was stuffed at his rectum. That is a bleak description of man’s ability to hurt his fellow man. Come to mind also Heinz Heger (aka Josef Kohout), who wrote The Prisoners of the Pink Triangle. In that book, he tells about the atrocities done by the Nazi-officers to the gay-prisoners. One detail comes to mind, where tells that the officer responsible for electing the daily prisoners-to-be-shot, masturbated every time after a row of deaths had occurred. Unless this doesn’t upset people, I don’t know what will.

Neither man, after the liberation of the concentration camp, found happiness, freedom or joy. Seel married a woman to create a sham marriage. Together they had children. When he came out in the 70’s to his family, he was met with contempt. Kohout and many other homosexuals who had suffered in concentration camps, were sent back to prison for being homosexual, under the § 175 of StGB. They also faced contempt and other forms of mental abuse for decades after their time in the concentration camps, because of their sexual orientation.

The above-mentioned German Penal Code Section didn’t exit the German Legal framework until the 11th of June 1994, almost four years after the German unification. The initial start to the law was in the year 1871. During the Nazi regime 1935 it got harsher, which further created opportunities for a variety of violations of human rights and the mental and physical ill-conducts towards homosexuals. One of the most chilling facts is that the law was not changed during 1945-1949. But remained in force in East Germany until 1968 and in West Germany until 1973, when sanctions were eased on gay sexual acts, and the protection age limit was lowered to 21 years.

The text of the law itself is extremely offensive and disdainful. Gay Sexuality is compared and referred to bestiality, zoophilia, “widernatürliche Unzucht mit Tieren” in German. The term ‘sodomy, is a term, which has been taken from the Bible. Where in some story Sodom is the name of a town, where apparently something “unpuritanic” happened. This would according to some people justified the use of a term sodomite; e.g. in the UK, there where the sodomy laws.

I think this is unthinkable. I cannot understand what was going on in the minds of the legislators’. What were these laws based upon? Apparently, they have been based on some pseudo-medical truths held correct at the time. More than 140 000 people had to suffer due to the actions of these legislators and experts.

In the 1920s Germany there emerged a HBTL motion, which proposed already in 1925, the same rights for all, regardless of sexual orientation. The Nazis crushed the movement and homosexuality became the subject of a great shame in the society for decades to come.

Since 2011, the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, the same sex couples were able to register their partnership in the registry office. Prior to that, the delivery had to be carried out e.g. in car inspection stations. So the state, which has a history of human rights violations, treats its citizens.

Homophobia is still to this day going strong in some areas. Mental and physical violence continues. Gays are still compared with paedophiles. Denominations will continue as will the acts of mental and physical violence against sexual minorities. In Eastern Europe and in Russia steps are taken backwards by creating laws against the freedom of sexual minorities. In Finland, the parliament is fighting over the equal marriage law.

Why? What for? What are the causes of sexual minorities being constantly-targeted, repressed and violated, even to this Day? Not to mention the last century? Are they in religious? Are they in long-term behaviour? Are they in the unwritten rules?

Religion it cannot be, because faith is a faith, not facts and science. Religion cannot be the basis of human behaviour or in any way limit the human rights; at least not in a civilized country. Long-term behavioural patterns are not the reason either because homosexuality has occurred as long as there has been a human race as such. From the end of the 19th to the 20th century which testified the climax of LGBT oppression, is a short period of time, compared with the entire history of humanity as a whole. In history, there are a lot of positive descriptions about homosexuality, in addition to its opposition. The unwritten rules have been and will be, but they vary in time and practice; and the times and ways shape people’s learning and understanding about nature.

So I do not find any proper reasons to the horrors of which the sexual minorities have suffered over the past hundred years. Indiscriminate brutality and incomprehensible psychological violence are part of the internal, natural cruelty of humans. That manifests itself through a movement, religion or ideology and sublimates through the order of the authorities in power.

Gay Sexuality is seen as weakness in relation to masculinity. Feminine gay men have emerged as describing the stereotypes of gay men. And the men, who have feared over their own masculinity, have created this gay travesty as a weak joke to improve their own low self-esteem. My question is, what about the macho-gays? Is it a merit to the straight man, if he manages to get himself a woman, who is physically weaker, and who has been considered being at a lower level in a society than men in general? If one is such a man, why not pick up someone who is your own calibre? Another man. Or is it too much for your masculinity?

No homophobes really exist. No one can be afraid of homosexuals. Homophobes are either very badly behaved people or possibly people who suffering themselves.

You would think about that after reading e.g. The Prisoners of the Pink Triangle, the life story of Pierre Seel or watching , The Paragraph 175 -document, that no one would want to oppress sexual minorities any more. All kinds of human rights violations are always accepted by the silent majority. One must make this majority understand that there is nothing wrong or bad at homosexuality.

Speaking positively in the future, I believe that things will chance to the better. One learns more all the time.

I can here in my mind for some reason, Wagner’s Siegfried death march. Its slow and pompous charge; the hero martyr-like melody and solemnity are suitable for the theme in question. Each hbtl-person who has lived, experienced and suffered all manner of evil because of their sexuality, should take this piece of music to their own. It ought to have been played to the victims of Section 175 who no longer walk in our ranks; the forte fortissimo parts for respect, and the quiet ending as a reminder to our own consciences.