Frank to speak at Holocaust Memorial Center exhibit opening, January 5

The Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus (www.holocaustcenter.org) announced that former U.S. Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) will be the keynote speaker on Sunday, Jan. 5, 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 lawrence.willim@holocaustcenter.org to purchase. During his 16 terms as a U.S. Congressman from 1981-2012, 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 MetropolitanDetroit, 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. For additional information on the Holocaust Memorial Center, visit www.holocaustcenter.org, or call 248-553-2400. Published: Wed, Jan 1, 2014