Book set in Berlin, Germany. Reviewed on 2020/01: https://www.instagram.com/p/B7T0V4vAmLr/
The Queer and the Jew. The Jew and the Queer. The Queer Jew. The Jewish Queer and the multiple reactions in between: from #antisemitism and #homophobia to fascination and exoticism. If you’ve never heard of #magnushirschfeld and the infamous #paragraph175 of the German Criminal Code officially revoked in the 1990s and which was part of the legal basis for #gaymen to be sent to concentration camps, then you should read this book. It’s a good beginning. I just wish #martinduberman had gone deeper into the so-called fluctuations of hate. In my opinion, #duberman hesitated way too much into either writing a #historical account or a fiction book. However, I did enjoy one particular topic in #jewsqueersgermans : the idea of #passing , of blending-in which it’s so perniciously present in both the Jewish and gay experiences. “Why can’t they just be a little Jewish or #gay behind closed doors only? Why everyone needs to know? What if I excel at everything and blend in and be the best that I can and don’t complain? Would that make them overlook who I am? What if I become even more intolerant than the haters?” I’d argue that these are all pressing questions even more so now that parts of our #queer community seem to be gaining rights and acceptance in some societies. Our collective history, experience and trauma do not magically go away because politicians have decided to grant us the right to marry each other and other rights. Fiction can help us learn from a not-so distant past in order to prepare for battle once the same bullies decide to return. #recommended#sevenstoriespress#PhilippvonEulenburg #HarryKessler#trial #blendingin #historicalfiction
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