San Francisco's Pink Triangle is more than a Pride symbol
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The Pink Triangle symbolizes the patches used to identify gay prisoners in Nazi concentration camps, such as this one worn by Josef Kohout. Photos: Left: Stephen Lam/San Francisco Chronicle/Getty Images. Right: United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Wilhelm A. Kroepfl
What began as a mark of hate now stands tall above San Francisco as a beacon of pride.
State of play: For three decades, the Pink Triangle has adorned Twin Peaks every June in recognition of the persecution of LGBTQ+ people under the Nazi regime.
The big picture: During World War II, the symbol was used to label gay prisoners in concentration camps — one of several color-coded patches sewn onto uniforms to publicly mark and shame inmates.
Flashback: Activists reclaimed the marking as an emblem of pride and protest amid the AIDS crisis, most famously with ACT UP's "Silence = Death" posters challenging stigma and government inaction.
- The symbol first appeared on Twin Peaks in 1996, installed at night at just 60 feet wide. Today, it spans 240 feet.
What they're saying: Patrick Carney, who co-founded the Friends of the Pink Triangle, told Axios it serves as a "warning and a reminder" and a "giant in-your-face educational tool to teach people where hatred can lead."
The latest: Earlier this month, police arrested a 19-year-old on suspicion of vandalizing the installation, which Carney said would not be repaired.
The bottom line: "Leaving it as it is sends a powerful message… we will wear this scar as a badge of resilience, courage and our continuing struggle for equality," he said.
Claire's thought bubble: Seeing the Pink Triangle shine down from Twin Peaks is a highlight of the year for me and a sign that, in the words of Harvey Milk, "hope will never be silent."
What's next: Learn more about its history on our Instagram.