World.GERMANY Remembering gay Holocaust victims More than 300 people gathered January 27 at the site of the former Sachsenhausen concentration camp--about 25 miles north of Berlin--for the first official memorial service for gay men killed there during World War II. About 25 wreaths were lain at the site of the crematorium cre·ma·to·ri·um n. pl. cre·ma·to·ri·ums or cre·ma·to·ri·a A furnace or establishment for the incineration of corpses. crematorium Noun pl -riums or . Because of its proximity to Berlin, the Sachsenhausen camp had the largest concentration of gay inmates--about 1,000 between 1936 and 1945. Reparations reparations, payments or other compensation offered as an indemnity for loss or damage. Although the term is used to cover payments made to Holocaust survivors and to Japanese Americans interned during World War II in so-called relocation camps (and used as well to for gay Holocaust victims have been under discussion in Germany. UNITED STATES Hearts and borders Members of the Lesbian and Gay Immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. Rights Task Force demonstrated outside Immigration and Naturalization Services headquarters in New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. on February 11 to protest what they say are that agency's discriminatory practices toward gays and lesbians. While visas are customarily granted to immigrant spouses of heterosexual citizens, they are invariably in·var·i·a·ble adj. Not changing or subject to change; constant. in·var  i·a·bil denied to alien partners of homosexual Americans, forcing gay and lesbian couples of mixed nationality to live in separate lands, lie and hide in the United States, or break up altogether. "It's not fair," said New Yorker Michael Dickey, whose mate, Frenchman Bruno Mithout, remains sans green card and jobless despite the couple's 14 years together in this country. "My government says my relationship doesn't count at all." Ten nations--Australia, Belgium, Britain, Canada, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and Sweden--recognize same-sex couples for immigration purposes. Those demonstrating said awareness must heighten if the United States is to join that list. "Most queer Americans don't even realize INS INS abbr. 1. Immigration and Naturalization Service 2. International News Service Noun 1. INS discriminates against them," said one protester who wished to remain anonymous, "until they fall for a foreigner." |
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