Photo courtesy of Tom Dunn.
Colorado State University Associate Professor of communication studies Thomas Dunn recently authored, “The Pink Scar: How Nazi Persecution Shaped the Struggle for LGBTQ+ Rights,” a look into the Nazi regime’s persecution of LGBTQIA+ people and, specifically, how Americans were aware of this persecution well before and during World War II. The book also traces how U.S. activists invoked Hitler’s anti-homosexuality campaign as a powerful rallying point in the fight for lesbian and gay rights for decades.
The Pink Scar examines what Dunn regards as forgotten history, unveiling his work at an event Nov. 11 at Old Firehouse Books in Old Town Fort Collins. The community had the opportunity to ask questions and hear about his experience writing the book.
Dunn’s publication is the result of years of work examining various elements of the Nazi Party’s influence. While there were challenges throughout the journey, he said he was thankful that he had the opportunity to orient his studies through CSU.
“I took five years studying Nazis, hoping that it was a thing in the past,” Dunn said. “It was really challenging what to do; that included being very fortunate to be funded by the university through a special fellowship program.”
Throughout his time writing the book, Dunn was able to visit sites of former concentration camps to further inform his research.
“I got to visit five concentration camps and did some work in those spaces, both in Poland and Germany, which I really didn’t think I could do this project if I wasn’t in those spaces and talking to those people, which really mattered,” Dunn said.
“We often only hear pieces of the story, and it’s important to understand that these changes happened gradually over time and figuring out what those changes look like now, and how people are responding.” –Katie Knobloch, associate professor of communication studies
Dunn said he hopes his book will continue supporting key figures of the LGBTQIA+ movement by integrating key moments in history for context.
“American LGBTQIA+ people in the ’30s all the way up to the 1980s were thinking about and talking about these things,” Dunn said. “Giving voice to survivors of that experience and integrating it into the key moments of what we think today as sort of LGBTQIA+ history.”
The book traces historical experiences and moments in each decade; often chronicling stories that were unknown to the general public at the time.
“It traces chronologically and talks about those moments in each decade in which supposedly nobody knew that this was going on,” Dunn said. “But in reality, people, at least within the queer community, have vivid memories of that and it became central to what they did.”
Sarah Cooper is an assistant professor in the English department at CSU. As Dunn’s colleague, she went to the book release in support.
“I came here to learn about (Dunn’s) new book, and I’m a faculty member at CSU, so I wanted to see what my colleagues in other departments are writing about,” Cooper said.
Cooper said she recognized the importance of the book in modern day activist spaces, including academics.
“I think it’s important because (the book) shows how there are historical moments that we can reflect on and maybe use to think about liberation work today,” Cooper said.
Katie Knobloch, a fellow associate professor in CSU’s communication studies department, was in attendance and praised Dunn’s motivations.
“(Dunn) is telling the story of (those) whose community stories are often untold; he brings voice, light and life to those stories,” Knobloch said. “I think it’s helpful for us to understand that we don’t want to erase the memories of folks who are living it.”
Knobloch also said recognizing and maintaining dialogue with affected communities helps better acknowledge the situations and stories detailed in Dunn’s book.
“Anytime you give folks agencies, you give them power, recognizing that people were responding and acknowledged what they were doing,” Knobloch said. “We often only hear pieces of the story, and it’s important to understand that these changes happened gradually over time and (we’re) figuring out what those changes look like now.”
Reach Jolynn Montiel at life@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.