A powerful new memorial honoring gay victims of the Nazi regime — and all LGBTQ people persecuted across history — has been unveiled in Paris. Located in public gardens near Bastille Plaza, the striking monument is a massive steel star created by French visual artist and queer rights activist Jean-Luc Verna.
Speaking at the unveiling on Saturday, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said the sculpture serves as both a remembrance and a warning. Hidalgo declared, “Historical recognition means saying ‘this happened’ and ‘we don’t want it to happen again.’”
The sculpture, shaped like a star wand lying flat on the ground, has one black side that casts a long shadow during the day. Verna said, “At certain times of the day, it casts a long shadow on the ground, evoking the dangers looming over, sadly.” The other side of the star, silvery, reflects the sky.
Historians estimate that between 5,000 and 15,000 people across Europe were deported by the Nazis for being gay. It wasn’t until 2005 that French President Jacques Chirac formally acknowledged these crimes, saying LGBTQ individuals were “hunted down, arrested and deported.” Jean-Luc Roméro, Paris’s deputy mayor and longtime queer advocate, noted the memorial arrives at a difficult time.
He pointed to recent U.S. policies under President Donald Trump that have stripped transgender people of rights and protections, from banning gender-affirming care for youth to ousting transgender troops. In Europe, too, LGBTQ freedoms are under threat. Hungary’s parliament recently passed a constitutional amendment allowing the government to ban queer public events — a move critics warn signals growing authoritarianism.
The Paris memorial stands as both a tribute and a reminder: the fight for dignity, memory, and equality is far from over. We will all remember. We will all, never forget.
