Farmington Hills - The Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus (http://www.holocaustcenter.org) announced that former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) will be the keynote speaker Jan. 5, 2014, when it opens its newest exhibit, "Nazi Persecution of Homosexuals, 1933-1945." The Holocaust Memorial Center is located at 28123 Orchard Lake Road in Farmington Hills.
The exhibit, which will remain on display through May 4, chronicles the Nazi campaign against homosexuality that targeted more than one million German men who, the state asserted, carried a "degeneracy" that threatened the "disciplined masculinity" of Germany. Denounced as "antisocial parasites" and "enemies of the state," more than 100,000 men were arrested under a broadly interpreted law against homosexuality.
The exhibit opening presentation will begin at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 5. Tickets are general admission and cost $18 ($10 for Holocaust Memorial Center members) and must be purchased prior to the event. Contact Lawrence at 248-553-2400 x24 or [email protected] to purchase.
During his 16 terms as a U.S. Congressman, from 1981-2012, Barney Frank became known for his sharp intellect, sense of humor and his willingness to tackle the tough issues. He has been a leader in the fight against discrimination, championed civil rights and financial reform, and was an architect of the financial regulations aimed at preventing a recurrence of the financial crisis.
In 1987, Frank became the first member of Congress to voluntarily come out as openly gay, and in 2012, he married his longtime partner, becoming the nation's first Congressman in a same-sex marriage while in office.
"During the Holocaust, it was not just the Jews who were persecuted, but everyone who did not fit the Nazis description of the 'perfect race'," said Holocaust Memorial Center Executive Director Stephen M. Goldman. "Through exhibits like Nazis Persecution of Homosexuals, our goal is to demonstrate how we can work with one another to make sure that something like this never happens again."
The exhibit and program has been made possible by support of Between The Lines, Anti-Defamation League, Henry M. Grix and Howard W. Israel Fund, Jewish Gay Network, Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit, ACLU of Michigan, Ruth Ellis Center, PFLAG, Eastern Michigan University Jewish Studies, Affirmations, University of Michigan-Dearborn Office for Student Engagement LGBTQ and Inclusion Initiative, and Voice/Vision Holocaust Survivor Oral History Archive.
The Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus opened in 1984. Local Holocaust survivors, with community support, founded the museum to teach about the senseless murder of millions, and why everyone must respect and stand up for the rights of others if the world is to prevent future discrimination, hate crime and genocide. As Michigan's only Holocaust museum, the Holocaust Memorial Center annually touches the lives of more than 85,000 individuals, who leave the museum profoundly affected with a newly acquired sense of history, social responsibility and morality. The Holocaust Memorial Center's exhibits create a call to action, teaching visitors through the examples of those who risked their lives to save others, and asking its guests to react to contemporary challenges such as racism, intolerance, bullying and prejudice.
The facility is wheelchair accessible and free parking is available at both the North and South entrances.
For more information on the Holocaust Memorial Center, visit http://www.holocaustcenter.org or call 248-553-2400.
