Hello Readers,  

By now the group is starting to feel the effects of travel. Many of us are exhausted and have plenty of blisters to prove just how much walking we've done of the course of the past two weeks. 

Despite the weariness, we trek on with our journey of learning.   Today we visited the deportation memorial just behind Notre Dame and across the street. This seems like a prime location where many people would visit right? Not quite. The memorial is behind hedges that block out the entire park. There are only two entrances. The big entrance was locked and the smaller is a bit more down the road. There is something to be said about how hidden this memorial is.  We first examined the plaque of the memorial, which was unique in itself. At the bottom of the plaque the triangles are displayed that named the "crime" that the prisoner was accused of. Notice how each star is on the same level as if to say that all suffered equally under the Nazi regime. Something that is truly unique about this sign is that it has a French, English, and German translation on it. Every museum we've visited so far has had primarily French on their signs. English is rare and usually only on the more popular artworks. It's very intentional as to why they included these three languages.  


The next part of the memorial is the open field and garden beds. Note how the flowers are arranged in a triangle. This was also very intentional, but something that caught our group's eye was that the flowers were pink. The pink triangle is the symbol that the Nazi's used to identify homosexuals. It is most likely that the planners of the memorial didn't intend for this meaning, but we've been trained to read between the lines and look for queerness everywhere. Too often our history is erased. It's quite possible that the landscape architect knew the significance of the pink and purposely chose pink flowers to plant. Our queer Brothers and Sisters are everywhere and leave their marks in a hidden language.



Now, I'm very sorry to disappoint our readers, but we were unable to actually view the real memorial on the bank of the river. The memorial was closed with no explanation or signage showing why. Lowell & Dr. Pitts assured us that they had checked online multiple times to make sure the memorial would be open. We even checked the website when we were at the memorial to see if there was a random reason for it being closed. Nothing. The silence surrounding the reason as to why the memorial was closed was frustrating.

   

In lieu of the memorial, Dr. Pitts gave us a mini-lecture on the history of this particular site as well as an explanation of French collaboration during the occupation. Over 30,000 French Jews were lined up and deported to a holding camp called Drancy, before being deported at this location to Auschwitz. Before being lined up at this location, they were kept at the Velodrome d'hiver, an old motorcycle track. The track is in a glass dome that acted as a greenhouse where these Jews and other "criminals" were kept for days without food or water. Some when insane from heat exhaustion and jumped from the stands to commit suicide.

We also learned quite a bit about why the French collaborated with Nazi Germany. The collaboration was mostly due to the losses that the French had during WWI. They lost a whole generation of young men to WWI and didn't want the same thing to happen again. So the French believed that by having their government collaborate, they could still have French officials in power and minimize French losses. Thankfully, a young French general by the name of Charles De Gaulle escaped to England and acted as the official French government. This enabled the Americans and the British to have someone to confer with during the war. It was interesting to compare the acts of resistance in France to that of the Netherlands, who declared themselves neutral in the war. 



Today, the French are beginning to understand and come to terms with just how much collaborating cost them. In the early 2000's plaques have been placed around the city at sites where Jews were deported. Plaques like these are the beginnings of the French atonement for collaboration. It's hard to think about what I would do in that situation or what I would want my government to do. I think it's important to not judge all the collaborators, especially since many might have felt that they were doing what they needed to do to survive or what they thought would bring the least about of harm to themselves and their community.  



Everyday, I seem to be learning more and more about not only queer history, but about the history of the wars as well. Never did I think I could absorb this much information in such a short trip. It's really nice to be able to see and touch the sites where so much history has happened. It has truly been an honor to be a part of this trip and I can't help but be sad knowing that we only have another day before we depart home.  

Your traveler and student,  

Derek McDowell

By Abby Schneller

Yesterday, we made our way to the last stop on our tour, Paris, France! We took the train from Amsterdam to Paris, about a three hour ride, then rode the Metro to our hotel. I slept for the majority of the train ride; doing so much traveling and studying is exhausting! After getting our roommate assignments for the remainder of the trip, we took a short break to relax. We then headed off for a walking tour of Paris headed up by our very own Dr. Pitts and Lowell. On the walking tour, we got to see many historic buildings, ending with the Notre Dame Cathedral. I’ve been to Paris before, a year ago. Last time I was here, I came with Purdue Musical Organizations and had the privilege of watching the Glee Club perform in Notre Dame. While it was not quite the same without the guys’ singing, it was still an incredible sight! The stained glass was so intricate and beautiful, just like I remembered.

After we viewed the Notre Dame, we were released to eat dinner or explore the city. I went with a few classmates to go shopping, which was really fun (except for a very rude saleswoman). We then went back to the hotel to change into nice clothes for dinner. We went to a brasserie called Café Les Artiste, and spent the night talking and getting to know each other. When we got back to the hotel, I spent some time with Angel and Beth, practicing make-up and talking. It was so nice to get to know them and their stories better, as well as share my own story with people who are so open and accepting.

Today started with a private tour of the Louvre set up by Comtesse Sabine de la Rochfoucard. We saw so much famous and beautiful artwork, like the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, a sphinx, crown jewels, and so much more! After the guided tour, we were even able to walk around and look at whatever we wanted to in the Louvre. I went off on my own and looked at the Napoleon III Appartments, which were incredibly lavish. We were also told to find a piece of art that spoke to us as being queer, just like our assignment for the Rijks Museum in Amsterdam. I found a statue of a man in a very feminine position, whose penis was covered by fabric. This man struck me as queer because the artist seemed to portray him as emasculated, with his male parts intentionally hidden. We are also writing a comparative paper on the pieces we found in the Rijks versus the Louvre.

Breaking for lunch, a few of us went to a café and had some really fantastic pizza. Of course, it was nice to sit for a while after a long morning of walking around the Louvre. On the way back, Beth took some great pictures of some of us, as well as a man in a Speedo doing yoga, which was silly. But after we met back for a short check in, we were set free to roam once again. Some of the group went back to the hotel, but myself and others went to try to find the Champs Élysées, a shopping district. We may or may not have gotten a little lost (hint: we did), and after searching for it for about an hour, Beth and I decided to give up. So we broke off from the group and maneuvered the subway system to find our way back to the hotel.

Upon arriving to the hotel, Beth and I took a break to relax and rest our tired feet. We then met up for dinner and ended up at this (somewhat sketchy) restaurant. It had good prices and the food itself wasn’t bad, but the bathroom sink didn’t work, so I’m a little nervous about food poisoning. Hopefully they had another sink where the employees wash their hands? Anyway, after dinner we went a few doors down to a cute ice cream and sorbet shop. It was very nice; they even made your ice cream cone look like a flower. Beth got chocolate and coffee ice cream and I got chocolate sorbet. On our way back to the hotel, we got a little lost and walked too far on the wrong street, so we just took the subway back. I’m pretty sure we’ll be experts on the Paris Metro after this trip is over.

Overall, it’s been a great first two days in Paris! Missing home, of course, but thee’s nothing like being here in Europe. It’s amazing to be around this beautiful old architecture and a whole different culture, with different norms, languages, and people. I also love seeing the different ways that ‘queer’ manifests itself in this new-for-me environment. I am so excited to see what our last few days will be like and what I will learn. This opportunity is just incredible

Greetings from Amsterdam! Today was a bittersweet one for me.  On one hand, it was our last day in the relaxing city but on the other, we were able to explore world class art in the Rijksmuseum and gain a new perspective on the Holocaust at the Dutch Resistance Museum before being turned loose to explore the city for the remainder of the day.

Our day began at 8:45 AM with a stroll to the Rijksmuseum.  (One of the wonderful things about our hotel is that it is located in the Museum District so we were just a short walk from stunningly famous and historical art, buildings, and most obviously, museums!)  From the outside, the Rijksmuseum resembles a palace.  It is covered in brick and inlayed artwork such as mosaics and intricate stained glasswork. Once inside, the appearance is more modern – it looks like a palace turned art gallery, oddly enough!

Before we arrived at the Museum, Dr. Pitts and Lowell challenged everyone in the group to find hidden sexuality and look deeply for signs of LGBTQ people in the various forms of artwork in the museum.  We found sexuality on bowls, in paintings,  and in sculptures large and small.  One of the very large Rembrandt paintings, The Treaty of Munster, gained our attention and let it suffice to say that the negotiations may not have been all business!

In the very front of the painting, you find two men, judging by the looks on their faces and the fact that one of the two has his hand placed gently over his heart, they seem to be discussing something personal. In the background of the painting there is also a man with a limp wrist which, traditionally suggests homosexuality, although we cannot be sure of the context in the time period.  This was just one of many examples found within the walls of the gorgeous museum.

For lunch, my group dined at a small cafe about a block from the Rijksmuseum where we enjoyed round steak, sandwiches, crepes, and of course pommes frite (which are Dutch french fries essentially).  European dining is quite a different experience than American.  For one thing, if you are dining in a large group, the waitstaff detests splitting bills and they do not hide their annoyance.  Another thing is that restaurants often do not accept cards, only Euros – we found that out the hard way on the first day!

After lunch we reconvened at the hotel to walk together to the tram stop towards the Dutch Resistance Museum.  One interesting thing about the tram is that you scan your pass on the way onto the tram as well as when you are leaving the tram.  That, and I find it odd to see a train and a regular car driving on the very same streets.

After the tram ride and a short walk, we arrived at the Dutch resistance museum which is located just across the street from the Amsterdam Zoo.  The Amsterdam Zoo is also the site of a major historical event yet there wasn’t a plaque nor a mention of the event.  The current location of the Amsterdam Zoo used to be a site of record keeping during World War II and it was bombed by a group of 12 people, one of which was Willem Arondeus.  Willem Arondeus was an openly gay artist who helped the resistance by making fake ID papers for people in risk of being taken to concentration camps. He, along with  11 other people, bombed the city records and saved thousands of people from persecution and possibly even death.

Diagonally across the street the Dutch Resistance Museum was located.  The museum was extremely interactive and creatively set up.  We began the tour with a short video chronicling three common reactions to the Nazi occupation of Holland: resistance, collaboration, or adaptation.  The video gave a sense of an answer to the looming question when one studies the Holocaust and wonders how someone could go along with such a thing.

As the group split up to explore the museum we found videos, artifacts, and stories of resistance and valiant efforts.  I think it is important to mention that one must take the museum with a grain of salt as it was created by the Dutch as a remembrance of their positive actions in the war and it often ignores the collaborators while celebrating the radical resistors.

Once we had explored the Dutch Resistance Museum for a while, the group was allowed to explore the city in the area or head towards ‘home’ in the Museum District to recover from the day.  Personally, I chose to freshen up and was planning to explore a bit more but my plans were ruined by an impromptu nap!

My wonderful roommates awoke me to go to dinner.  We went to a homemade pasta place called ‘Pasta Pasta!’  Where they had pasta dishes from several different cultures as well as a killer tiramisu!

Amsterdam has been beautiful, wonderful, and educational.  One thing that I’ve really taken away from the Amsterdam portion of the trip is looking at museums with a critical eye especially toward the hetero-normative ways so often used by historians, curators, and sadly even the education system.  This is why we’re doing this though isn’t it? To change these hetero-normative ideals within society and to understand why this happened in the first place.

By Allan Summers

Today’s adventure took us all around the city. We awoke early to head to the Ann Frank House. We arrived at the actual house and Secret Annex of Anne Frank and her family and a long line met us with more than 100 people even though it was only 9:00am. Luckily, we had purchased our tickets in advance and didn’t have to wait that long to see this historic site. For those of you who do not know, Anne Frank was a young Jewish girl who went into hiding with her family from the Nazi Party during the Second World War. It was the goal of the Nazi Party to exterminate the Jewish citizens and during their persecution Anne Frank documented her experiences as she and her family hid for about 2 years. Anne was also the author of many short stories and collected her favorite sentences while hiding in secret. On August 4, 1944 Anne, her family, and the rest of the inhabitants of the Secret Annex were arrested and processed by the Nazis. Anne would eventually die at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in Nazi Germany at the age of 15. Of the eight residents of the Secret Annex, only one, Otto Frank, Anne’s father, survived. He was rescued from the camp only one month after Anne’s death.

A video played in the museum narrated by Anne’s childhood best friend, another survivor of Auschwitz, and in this video Jacqueline van Maarsen talks about hope and how they tried to make the best of their situations. The two were definitely lucky to have each other in those hard times. Jacqueline recalls the last time she saw Anne that she looked so “hopeless”. Anne thought that she was the last of her family to survive the camps. Unbeknownst to her (or anyone), a month later would the camp be liberated and she would be reunited with her father who was held in the infirmary. Jacqueline van Maarsen believed that had Anne known that her father was still alive, she could have held on a little longer and potentially until the liberation of the camp. I believe that hope could have given Anne the strength she needed, even if she wasn’t going to survive.

Directly out side of the Anne Frank House is another national monument called the “Homomonument”. This monument was presented to the public on September 5, 1987 to commemorate the gay men and women who lost their lives during the Second World War. Gay men and women were harshly punished and sometimes killed under Nazi rule because they “did not fit” into the Aryan identity the Nazis were trying to attain. Those sent to concentration camps were forced to wear a pink triangle on the right corner of their shirts and as well as on their pants to signify to everyone else that this person was either a homosexual or “committed same sex crimes”. Lesbian women were seen as social deviants and so they were forced to wear either black or red triangles on their clothing. Still, the Homomonument is not only meant for those queer persons who suffered in World War Two, but for any body who have been or are still persecuted and killed by political and government groups.

The monument itself is actually composed of three, pink granite, equilateral triangles connected by a band. The three triangles actually form a fourth triangle as a whole. Each point in the monument represents the past, present, or future and also points to another famous landmark in Dutch history. What I found so shocking about this monument was that it was so close to the Anne Frank House they the line continuously spilled over literally on top of the Homomonument. The general public seemed to be entirely clueless as to what all of the symbols on the ground mean, and what this kind of monument means to queers all over the world. Not to take away from the impact of the Anne Frank house, I just wanted to make note on how this landmark is literally “hiding in plain sight”.

We were let loose for the rest of the day and I chose to spend some time in the sex museum. This museum was full of very rare art that would otherwise be hidden from various cultures. We saw same sex acts in photography and art dating all the way back to the 1800s! These pieces of art would probably never be seen in a museum in the States. Cultures from all over the world were represented from the Middle East, to the Americas, all the way to Japan and Polynesia. It was amazing to see much older cultures recognize different sexualities and different sexual identities and how it can seem how we have taken steps back in censoring how we view our bodies and identities.

The last part of our day took us to the infamous Red Light District in Amsterdam. This section of the city has a very open view on sex acts and sexuality and many shops celebrated the use of sex toys and enhancers for partners of all types. This part of town is also widely known for the regulated prostitution. As we walked along the narrow streets, we peeked inside windows normally used to advertise potential partners for the night. Thankfully we weren’t solicited! The openness of all sexualities was extremely interesting. We, as Americans, have been so conditioned to turn away from nudity and from sexual exploration, so it was refreshing to see people of all ages celebrate something that can be so beautiful.

At night, I ended with some Indonesian food at a local spot. I had to try it out because it seemed that there was no shortage of Indonesian, Peruvian, or Argentinian restaurants. I can’t wait to try the other two types of dishes tomorrow. All in all, we are still on the right track to discovery and liberation. I know that I have been taking every opportunity to try something new or walk a little bit further to see the next museum. Because who knows the next time I’ll get to do this again…I may not know, but I’m not going to waste it this time around!

Friday marked the beginning of the second leg of the trip.   We started the day with a meta discussion of our time in New York.  Afterwards we checked out and started to wait; we waited two and a half hours to be shuttled to Newark, and there we spent 3 hours in the terminal.  Personally, I was very glad when the plane was finally in the air.  The bird’s eye view of New York City was stunning.

We arrived in Schiphol at 8:00am on Saturday.  The uncomfortable plane seats didn’t allow for much sleep, so most of the group was tired and tense as we tried to exit the bustling airport.  Luckily, it was relatively easy to get outside; the lines were short and none of our bags were given extra attention from customs.  I have nothing to compare this trip to, but later in the day, Our Dear Leaders mentioned that it was the smoothest foreign airport exit they had ever experienced.

Our home for the next few days is NH Museum Quarter.  Although most of us needed a shower and a nap, we couldn’t check into our rooms until 1:00p so we took the liberty to explore a little bit.

This photo is the canal alongside Hobbemarkade.  Amsterdam is prettier and cleaner than NYC.  There are fewer people here and biking is a major mode of transportation; bikes are EVERYWHERE compared to a paltry few in NYC.   The streets are narrow and most sidewalks are barely big enough for two people to walk side by side.  At first I was intimidated to come to a country without the language, but it seems like almost everyone in Amsterdam speaks english, at least the people in the cafes and shops.  Coffee and a sandwich were 6.50 euro (about $9.00), which would be high for Indiana, but the prices don’t faze me anymore after spending a week in New York City.  Our lunch took a long time, but long meals are part of the culture in Europe.

Many group members got some much needed sleep before the canal tour at 3:00p, which Lowell and Dr. Pitts had graciously procured during the morning free time.  The photos above were taken on the tour.  The canals are a bit confusing because  instead of going north, south, east, west, the canals are concentric circles that surround the center of the city; it makes it difficult to remember where you have been and judge distances as well.  Although I think the boat ride was intended to make learning to navigate the city easier, I don’t think it helped much other than to show the beauty of the city.  Amsterdam is a very old city.  New York is an old city too, but most of the buildings have been replaced by skyscrapers so you can’t see the age on the street.  However the buildings here are only four or five stories tall because some go as far back as the 17th century.  Some are leaning to the side from age, while others lean into the street because they were made to do so as a status symbol.  House boats are also common in some canals, originally used because they were cheaper, but now the boats are valued real estate because the city isn’t giving out more permits.  I don’t know the housing market in Amsterdam, but I assume that rent is very expensive like NYC.  It’s a small city and everyone wants a piece.

Hola everyone! My name is Angel Avina, and it’s my turn to share with you today’s adventures we had through out the city of New York! We started the day out bright and early meeting in our dorms lobby at 9am to start our subway ride to the offices of GLSEN. GLSEN (Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network) is a k-12 education program that works in providing numerous resources for students and academic professionals to promote the inclusion of LGBTQ communities into education. Emily Greytak, Director of Research, and aunt of our lovely Abby Schneller, greeted us in their conference room with a box full of delicious pastries and where we started right off the back with introductions. After intros we met Ikaika Regidor, Youth Program Director, who took us into a hall to do an exercise that involved us placing ourselves in a time line according to a slip of paper that stated a fact on LGBTQ history, some dating back to the 1600’s.

After we were done we came back together around the conference table and had the opportunity to meet the different members of the other departments and what exactly each one of the departments was currently working on. I was actually pleasantly surprised by how mentally engaging this organization was since I had never heard of it before. I’ve recently been interested in the reformation of sexual studies in k-12 institutes, so getting an insight on how one organization has been able to provide so many resources in this field has elevated my interests to another level. After each representative spoke we were able to ask questions and below is just a sample response that we received.

GLSEN was wonderful in providing us a synopsis of what they do and what is left to accomplish in providing for the LGBTQ communities in schools. We got to go home with a really nice folder packed with all their resource information and contacts, and trust me; I look forward to working with GLSEN in the future.

After GLSEN we made our way over to Christopher Park, right out side of the Stonewall Inn. Today was the first day of our small group presentations on the historic locations that we will be visiting through out our travels. Today Abby, Jynx, and Jake presented on the history of Stonewall including its riot and what came after it for the community.  Below is a bit of Abby’s presentation.

After the presentation we crossed the street over to Stonewall Inn where we met with Tree Sequoia. This man was definitely a character and one that had us laughing through out his whole presentation. He gave us a very blunt history of the place, no sugar coating. It was run by the mafia in its earlier days, as were most of neighborhoods. He focused mainly on the aftermath of the riot in regards to the Inn, such as the bar getting split into two and how the community supported them by allowing them to come into their stores so that the police couldn’t arrest them. He also mentioned that one of the police officers that was in the riot later apologized for deeming them as sick before he passed away. Tree spent most of his time talking about his life growing up and how he came to be so well rooted into his queer community. He told us how his career started out in the bars and was always bouncing around from one to the other. Tree put the time period into perspective for us stating:

“Years ago you had to worry about being gay. I was in a gang and I used to have to hide having sex on roof tops and on top of piles of trash bags and then go back home and lie about it to the gang. I’d say I was away with my family or something”

He finished up with answering questions and the last question that I asked was what advice he would have for a group of young queer individuals and he responded with;

“Play it smart, meet the right people and learn how to live on your own so that you don’t have to rely on anybody.” “Go to school, get your education and then you can afford to be gay.”

After our session with Tree, our group activities came to an end but I would like to mention how I finished the rest of my day. A group of us headed over back to Times Square to buy some Broadway tickets and decided to watch Kinky Boots. Let me just say, Billy Porter was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!! Everyone reading needs to see this man while he still in the show. The lights, the music, the vocals, the crystal encrusted Boots; all had me at the edge of my seat in goose bumps. We met him after the show and he was surprisingly humble, and even knew where Purdue University was. The person that really took my breath away for the night was a complete surprise, Lady Bunny. The legendary drag queen goddess came out of the same doors and I was not expecting it. I chased her down a few blocks in order to get a picture. I must say, the inner elementary school girl came out of me and was in utter shock. After the picture I thanked her and re-joined my group a few blocks down.

Over all, my day was full of queerness and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. The day completed my stay here in New York City on an ultra high note, from the resourceful information from GLSEN, to the history of Stonewall Inn and ending with the experience of my second Broadway show. On my way back I was thinking to myself as I looked back to these past few days, and I can truly say I took full advantage of this opportunity and New York was everything I expected and more!

Greetings loved ones, followers, and those who may stumble upon this blog unintentionally! My name is Eliot Blackburn and I will be giving you a brief reflection upon my trip experience these past few days. Yesterday morning our day began with a group reflection session where we discussed our thoughts of the previous day (for more details see Gary’s post). A few things stuck out to me that I felt were worth sharing widely. Those are the central role the HIV/AIDs epidemic has had on the LGBTQ community and the prominence or invisibility of women within queer history. While HIV is generally associated with gay men in the United States, the past few days have actually shown us that hemophiliacs and intravenous drug users were/are disproportionately affected by HIV. These two groups were highlighted by ACT UP members Jim Eigo and Annette Guadino and these groups came up again on our trip to the New York Public Library.

Group meeting before heading out for the day

After having the morning to sleep in (thank you Dr. Pitts & Lowell!) the group headed to the New York Public Library’s Schwarzmann Building on 5th Avenue. We had the distinct pleasure of meeting with Jason Baumann, Coordinator of Collection and Assessment and LGBT Collections for the New York Public Library (NYPL). Jason gave us a brief overview of the LGBT collections and records available on request and online across the various NYPL libraries. We learned 4 libraries make up the NYPL (Humanities & Social Sciences, Science Industry and Business, Performing Arts, and the Center for Black Research and Culture). What struck me about the LGBT collection is that while it is mostly a political history of the HIV/AIDs epidemic during the 1980s and 90s, representations of LGBT individuals exist in a multitude of locations throughout the NYPL system. For example, the Humanities and Social Sciences library houses the archives for ACT UP New York while the Performing Arts division has a collection of ethnographic first hand accounts from many early ACT UP members.

During his presentation Jason addressed a number of questions the group posed to him. We discussed the politics surrounding attaining and maintaining an individual or group’s archive as well as the difficulties making the collections available to the public. LGBTQ history has been historically ignored and not recorded for a variety of reasons and Jason pointed out a way to “research around” the records. He encouraged the group to be creative and think out side of institutionally constructed research guides and archive structure. In all honesty this was a bit surprising to hear these suggestions in light of the experience we had at the Lesbian Herstory Archives. The LHA has been and continues to be structured in such a way that challenges conventional archive formations. While Jason was quick to encourage us to be creative and engage with the collection, the Herstory archive was literally hands on. We were able to touch the documents, pick them up, and even photocopy some of them. This was not the case at NYPL. It was extremely insightful to experience a community based archive such as the Lesbian Herstory Archive and the professionalized NYPL. They both have strengths and weaknesses but overall their goal is the same – preserving the lived experiences of LGBTQ individuals.

Grand Central Station, On the way to NYPL

Lowell pointing out important landmarks

NYPL 5th Avenue location, We’re Here!

Jason Baumann addressing the group

“Women get AIDs too,” NYPL LGBT Collection

Jason gave us a quick tour of the 5th Avenue location and we spotted a Gutenburg Bible!

Now to the second part of our day – Broadway! Our group saw Cabaret at the legendary Studio 54. Before entering the space we were able to take a group photo (below) in our semi-fancy outfits. The production first opened in November of 1966 and has experienced many revivals since in the United States and England. For those of you unfamiliar with Cabaret (like me before seeing the show), the musical is set in Berlin, Germany during the 1930s leading up to World War II. Act I opened with the Emcee (Alan Cumming) welcoming the audience to The Kit Kat Club, a salacious place that one of the main characters, Cliff Bradshaw describes as, “a bunch of teenagers partying in their room waiting for their parents to find out.” Aesthetically the production reminded me of burlesque shows and the sexual freedom and autonomy associated with such spaces. The Kit Kat Club serves as a hub of social interaction for the main characters and becomes a site of regulation during Act II after the Nazi Party comes to power in Germany. The overarching theme of Cabaret tracks the progressive loss of freedom to express sexuality and political ideology. Until the last few scenes of Act I the production seems to be about the sexual relations and social interactions of people living in 1930s Berlin. After a local Nazi party member warns his friend marrying a Jew would not be good for her future, the play begins to lose its playfulness and upbeat nature. Act II sees less sexual escapades, the local “working girl” taking up a steady boyfriend (the local Nazi), and a terminated pregnancy.

So as not to completely ruin the production for those of you who have not seen it, suffice it to say there was a lot going on in Cabaret. In terms of the goals of this Trans-Atlantic Sexualities course, the big take away for me is that persecution and the destruction of a community or society can happen almost instantaneously. When the Emcee of the Kit Kat Club sheds his overcoat to reveal striped gray and white attire with the Star of David and the pink triangle, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I remembered painting the pink triangle on ACT UP banners the day before and wondered what it must have been like for those accused of sexual deviancy to be murdered or sent away to concentration camps. It gave me chills to think that a symbol previous generations and my generation use to symbolize power and community may have been the last thing a person saw before their death.

More than anything today has made me more appreciative of LGBTQ people and communities that existed long before my existence on this earth. I was moved by the letters and posters at the NYPL documenting the lives of women who died of AIDs related complications before the U.S. government even admitted it was possible for women to become HIV positive. In the cab back to NYU a disagreement occurred over some of the “facts” presented in Cabaret. Whether it was completely factual or not is inconsequential. The point of Cabaret, visiting the NYPL, and working with ACT UP New York is that we (LGBTQ people and our Allies) must live authentic lives and advocate for ourselves. If LGBTQ history is allowed to fade away into the space of time we will end up like Cliff Bradshaw and Sally Bowles, dancing away to the end of the world without a clue or care in the world.

Entrance ticket for Cabaret

In front of Studio 54 – the venue for Cabaret.

After the show some of the actors met with fans and signed playbills. We were all starstruck and very excited to meet the actors.

Alan Cumming signing autographs for Purdue students.

This is a brief news clip about the rally for homeless LGBTQ youth Sam wrote about on June 2…please watch and consider taking action:

http://pix11.com/2014/06/02/rally-calls-for-more-assistance-for-homeless-lgbt-youth/

An AMAZING resource helping LGBTQ homeless youth is the Ali Forney Center – http://www.aliforneycenter.org – check out the great work they do, and how YOU can be involved in creating change.