Each month, the directors of Spencer Pride will be bringing you a bit of themselves. This will be a way for the directors to share a more personal side with the community. The idea for this “Director’s Corner” was discussed at our annual retreat and it was agreed that much of what is known of the directors is through an email address or a photo in the commUnity center. Sure, some directors have developed relationships with the community, but we also have new directors who are also new to the community. We hope you enjoy getting to know a bit more of the directors of Spencer Pride.
Up next is Clay, the Health & Wellness Director!
The Pink Triangle
As I scrolled through TikTok late one night when I should have been sleeping, I came across a video about an elderly gay veteran and his gay nephew. The video was about how they got matching tattoos of a Pink Triangle. Not many people know what the Pink Triangle is or represents anymore…
The Pink Triangle was the first symbol ever used to label homosexuals. Used by the Nazis during World War II as a classification symbol for homosexuals, gay men were forced to wear a Pink Triangle over their hearts in internment camps. This symbol was meant to be worn as a punishment and to bring shame to those who were forced to wear it. During the Gay Liberation Movement that started in 1969 and lasted through the early 1980’s, the Pink Triangle was reclaimed and utilized as the gay pride symbol. The Pink Triangle was the rainbow flag before the rainbow flag ever existed or was even thought of.
As a reminder to myself of the history that the LGBTQ+ community, the trials, and triumphs that we have experienced, I decided to get the Pink Triangle tattooed on my left forearm. I wear it as a symbol of pride for the community that I am part of. I wear it in remembrance of all the lives that we have lost to hate. I wear it to start conversations about our history, about how far we have come, and about how far we have left to go. The Pink Triangle to me represents the past, present, and future of the LGBTQ+ community; and I am proud to wear it everyday.