Pink resistance heroes in the Second World War? Of course. In 1943 the resistance attacked the population register. The Germans were not amused and offered a reward. The men were caught and executed. Soon after, it became clear that some of the key fighters in the resistance were openly gay and lesbian.
In the post-war Netherlands and Amsterdam, persecution of gays increased and homophobia became rampant. People preferred not to know that there were (open) gays who fought against the Germans. A forgotten chapter, which you can learn more about in the Resistance Museum.
Want to delve even further into the history and background of the gay community? In OBA Oosterdok you will find IHLIA, the heritage organization in the field of LGBTQ in the Netherlands. The archive has a unique collection of books, archives and photos that tells the history of a part of society that was invisible until recently. There is an IHLIA information desk with part of the book collection and there are various exhibitions during the year.