Henry Gerber
Henry Gerber (born June 29, 1892 in Passau , † December 31, 1972 in Chicago ) was an American - German LGBT activist. He is the founder of the American gay rights organization .
Life
Gerber was born as Josef Heinrich Dittmar in Passau. At the age of 21 he emigrated to the USA in 1913 and called himself Henry Gerber from then on. First he joined the US Army and was a soldier in World War I. During the Allied occupation of the Rhineland , he was stationed in Koblenz for several years . During this time he had first contact with the writings of Magnus Hirschfeld . During his travels to Berlin , he also got to know the open climate there towards homosexuality.
After returning from Europe, he founded the Society for Human Rights in Chicago in 1924 . It was the first gay rights organization in the United States. In 1924/1925 he published the USA's first gay magazine, Friendship and Freedom . In the following his work shifted to New York City .
Web links
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Gerber, Henry |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Dittmar, Josef Heinrich (maiden name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American-German LGBT activist |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 9, 1892 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Passau |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 31, 1972 |
| Place of death | Chicago |