Teach Critically

Reclaiming Symbols: From Oppression to Pride

By

Louisa Rogers

—

3–4 minutes

To read

Exercise title: Reclaiming Symbols: From Oppression to Pride

For students aged 15-16

Time required: 50 minutes

Image Context: This badge was worn at the 1993 March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation—one of the largest LGBTQ+ rights demonstrations in US history.

Learning Objectives:

  • Understand the historical origins of the pink triangle
  • Analyze how oppressed communities reclaim symbols of persecution
  • Critically examine the power dynamics of symbolic transformation
  • Connect historical activism to contemporary movements

Content Warning: This lesson addresses historical persecution, including the Holocaust and homophobia. Create a safe space for discussion and allow students to step out if needed.

Materials Needed:

  • The 1993 Pride badge image
  • Paper/notebooks
  • Optional: access to research materials
  • 50 minutes

Part 1: Historical Context – The Pink Triangle’s Origins (10 minutes)

Teacher-led discussion with key information:

The pink triangle has a dark history that this badge deliberately references:

  • In Nazi Germany (1933-1945), the pink triangle was used to identify and persecute gay men in concentration camps
  • It was a badge of shame, marking people for imprisonment, forced labor, and death
  • After WWII, this persecution was rarely acknowledged—many countries kept anti-gay laws

Class Discussion:

  • Why might it be important to remember this history?
  • How do you think survivors and their families felt about this symbol?
  • What does it mean to take a symbol of oppression and wear it publicly in a gesture of pride?

Part 2: Reappropriation – Taking Back Power (15 minutes)

Small group work (3-4 students per group):

Discuss these questions in your groups:

Understanding Reappropriation:

  • By 1993, LGBTQ+ activists were deliberately using the pink triangle as a pride symbol. Why might they do this?
  • What changes when a community reclaims a symbol that was used against them?
  • The triangle is now inverted (pointing up instead of down) and bright pink instead of dull. What might these changes represent?
  • What’s the difference between victims wearing this symbol and oppressors wearing it?

The 1993 March Context:

  • This was during the AIDS crisis, when LGBTQ+ people faced widespread discrimination and government neglect
  • The slogan “Silence = Death” (also using a pink triangle) was prominent in activism
  • How does wearing a Holocaust symbol connect to fighting for rights in the 1990s?

Power and Ownership:

  • Can any symbol be reclaimed? What conditions need to exist?
  • Does reclaiming a symbol erase its painful history, or preserve it?

Part 3: Comparative Analysis – Other Reclaimed Symbols (10 minutes)

Class brainstorm and discussion:

What other symbols, words, or images have been reclaimed by marginalized communities?

Possible examples to explore:

  • “Queer” – once a slur, now reclaimed by LGBTQ+ community
  • The word “witch” – reclaimed by feminist movements
  • Cultural or religious symbols reclaimed after colonization

For each example, consider:

  • What was the symbol’s original oppressive meaning?
  • How has it been transformed?
  • Does everyone in the community agree with reclaiming it?
  • What does the act of reclamation achieve?

Part 4: Contemporary Connections (10 minutes)

Individual reflection – write responses:

Choose one or more prompts:

Personal Connection:

  • How do symbols of identity function today? (Think: flags, pronouns, clothing, social media icons)
  • Have you seen symbols being reclaimed or repurposed in current movements?
  • What makes a symbol powerful enough to reclaim?

Critical Thinking:

  • This badge is now a historical artifact. What does that tell us about progress and ongoing struggles?
  • Pride events today often use rainbows more than pink triangles. What might explain this shift?
  • Is there a danger in symbols of trauma becoming “commercialized” or decorative?

Contemporary Issues:

  • LGBTQ+ rights are still contested globally. How does understanding this history inform current activism?
  • What symbols are being created (not just reclaimed) by today’s social justice movements?
  • If you were designing a badge for a cause you care about today, what would it look like and why?

Closing Discussion (5 minutes)

Whole class reflection:

  • What’s one thing that surprised you about this badge’s history?
  • Why does understanding symbolic reappropriation matter?
  • How can studying objects like this badge help us understand larger historical and political movements?

Extension Activities:

  1. Research Project: Investigate the 1993 March on Washington. What were the demands? What was achieved? What remains unfinished?
  2. Creative Response: Design a symbol for a contemporary cause that either reclaims something negative or creates something new. Write a 300-word explanation of your choices.

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