Today's Out Spotlight was deported for being gay from France to a German
concentration camp during World War II. He is known for speaking out
about his Holocaust experience.
Pierre Seel was born on August 16, 1923. to an affluent Catholic family in northern France, near
the German border. In 1939, while in a public garden known for gay
cruising, his pocket was picked. Seel reported the theft to police and
was placed on a list of homosexuals, even though being gay was legal.
In 1941, during the German occupation, he was deported along with
other French gays to the Schirmeck-Vorbruck concentration camp where he was
tortured, starved and raped. He witnessed his boyfriend mauled to death
by German Shepherds. On his prison uniform, Seel was required to wear
blue fabric that denoted clergymen, prostitutes and homosexuals.
After six months, Seel was removed from the camp and forced to enlist
in the German army. After four years, he deserted and surrendered to
the Allies, who returned him to France. Unlike others, gays did not
receive compensation or acknowledgment from France for their
concentration camp hardship.
In 1950, he entered into a marriage of convenience and never told
his wife of 28 years that he was gay. They had three children.
In 1982, Seel responded to Bishop Leon Elchinger’s anti-gay remarks
in a letter published in a French gay magazine. He advocated for France
to honor gays persecuted by Nazis. In 1994, his memoir “I, Pierre Seel,
Deported Homosexual” was published. His story was featured in the
documentary “Paragraph 175”. In 2003, he received recognition as a
victim of the Holocaust by the International Organization for
Migration.
The film A Love to Hide is loosely based on his life.
Seel spent his last 12 years with his partner, Eric Feliu before passing away on November 25, 2005.
“I became aware that in spite of all that I had imagined, the true liberation was for other people.”
36 comments:
Funny how the troll is now trying to sell Modigliani as the guy in Leadville, FOUR YEARS LATER. There is no doubt that is Austin Nichols in that photo. Neither the hair, nor the face are even similar to Modigliani's.
The blogger, Brandon Fuller, who initially spotted Jake back in August 2010, also made the point of stating that Jake was hiding "up in the rafters with his big beard". Only after Brandon's pic was posted on the Internet did Jake suddenly become public with his trip. Even allowing himself to be photographed with several of the folks in attendance with a big fat smile on his face.
We also know that Jake had been trying to pimp himself with Modigliani immediately after the Leadville gaffe. Most notably with that stupid BAFTA "boyfriend" story on Kimmel in March 2011. Jake has a long history of using other guys to hide his husband. Marcus Mumford being the most recent example of his closeted behavior. Let's face it. Being with Mumford three years in a row to hide Austin's birthday was a bit over the top, but that's our Jake. Subtlety is not one of his strong suits.
Another amazing story in the Spotlight this week.
We know who was in Leadville. It was Austin.
I love the quote at the end of the Spotlight. I feel the same way most of the time.
You're getting on my last nerve, Jack.
Those are old pictures you posted. They have nothing to do with that girl's tweet.
Don't blame me if WME's minions/paid accounts can't do a convincing job.
You know what? I don't want to see her croissant and coffee if she's sitting next to Jake.
I want to hear what he's eating. I want to hear what he was doing. I could give a rat's ass what she's eating or seeing if Jake is the one she's talking about is sitting nearby. Why not just say that he's sitting next to you? That he's eating? That he's wearing a really loud green shirt? That he's got a piece of food in his beard? That he's very mannerly and uses a napkin on his lap? Tell me something like that.
If it's just her eating at IHOP, then yeah, tweet a picture of your pancakes. But if you have a celebrity sitting in the same restaurant? I could care less about you, I want to hear about the celebrity.
Let's get real. This is what Twitter is for. Otherwise, don't tell me that Jake is sitting mere feet away and don't show me your half eaten place setting.
He wasn't there.
And no, that is not David Mandolin.
That is not his hair, no way, no how. I could see how, at first glance, you would look twice. I know I did.
But it's not David M.
M & M nailed it up there and you're hacked that she keeps catching onto the mop up and the vaudeville show that Jake keeps doing to cover up his real life.
Get out of here with this David Mandolin nonsense. It is not him.
End of story.
What a tragic story in the Spotlight. The horror that people have lived - God rest their souls now.
I can't hardly bear Nazi Germany stories - they're just too awful.
How important is it that the person with Jake at Leadville isn't Austin?
Nearly four years later, it is still very, very important. They never intended for Austin to be seen. I kiss the ground that Brandon Fuller walks on for that gift he provided which showed Jake and Austin still together after so long without any sign.
Mgmnt reacted instantly when Jake was accidentally flushed out in that picture. All of a sudden, here came Jake out and about, taking pictures with fans and what was so telling? That he was turning on the 100 watt smile. "See? Nothing to see here, folks!"
Oh, but there was. And Mgmnt must have been sweating bullets that Austin would be discovered and I bet they were breathing a collective sigh of relief when August went by and then September went by. Leadville was forgotten and I bet they thought they were in the clear.
But then Austin tweeted that bathroom twitpic and well....the rest is history.
Sorry, boys!
it is he is David Modigliani
you want to see everything I have, yes or no?
I want to hear what he's eating. I want to hear what he was doing. I could give a rat's ass what she's eating or seeing if Jake is the one she's talking about is sitting nearby.
What kind of bizarre statement would be this ?
Until proven otherwise that's her instagram account is not yours or Jake, if she think it is more important what she is eating than some celebrity sitting next to her, she will be free to focus on her croissant,or she have to ask permission to you?
What the f are you talking about ?
Who the f is David Medalion?
Who the f is David Medalion?
the guy in Lesdville with Jake
Sorry Tom, that was me who called him David Mandolin. I can't get all those consonants in his name.
You about made me spit out my drink here at work. LOL
I can't stop laughing, Tom. That about killed me.
lol. I'm so sorry. Gotta go. Back to work!
LOL you too cracked me up.
So Jake was supposedly at an IHOP, is that right? If that's the claim, well, can you imagine Mr. Foodie at a place like that when there are dozens of restaurants within a stone's throw.
That looks amazing, one of my favourite books, one of my favourite (living) writers AND Jake!
I think Toibin is on the faculty and Jake is a semi-alumnus isn't he, so I would doubt whether management is involved (and don't really care to be honest).
Post I replied to now gone :D
That was me as anon.
Hi London
sorry about that.
Here is the information about the book discussion at Columbia.
Hope everything is going well across The Pond.
Jake Gyllenhaal and Colm Toíbín: In Conversation | The Year of James Baldwin
Date:
From 01-May-14 7:00 pm through 9:00 pm
Location:
Jerome L. Greene Hall, Room 104, 435 W 116th Street (@Amsterdam Avenue)
Contact:
artsoutreach@columbia.edu
Info:
COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND EDUCATION | CONVERSATION
Jake Gyllenhaal and Colm Toíbín: In Conversation
The Year of James Baldwin
Thurs, May 1, 7 PM
Jerome L. Greene Hall, Room 104
435 W 116th St (@Amsterdam Ave)
Described by the Washington Post as “an almost unbearable, tumultuous, blood-pounding experience,” James Baldwin’s Another Country remains one of the most powerful novels about that tangle of conundrums (race, gender, class, and sexuality), which so dramatically organizes our culture. To launch Columbia University’s installment of The Year of James Baldwin, Jake Gyllenhaal, acclaimed actor, producer, and Academy Award® and Golden Globe® nominee, will join Colm Toíbín, celebrated author and Irene and Sidney B. Silverman Professor of the Humanities, in a dynamic conversation about this remarkable novel and its enduring relevance. The evening will be introduced by Carol Becker, Dean of Columbia University School of the Arts, and Farah Jasmine Griffin, William B. Ransford Professor of English and Comparative Literature and African American Studies.
and Jake is a semi-alumnus isn't he
no he isn't
Yes Jake is.
An alum does not have to graduate only attend the school to be an alum. And Jake attended Columbia so he is an alum of Columbia.
no he is not, Franco, is an alumnus
According to Wikipedia, Special is right. Anyway I included the qualifier 'semi-' for the literal-minded.
Actually Jake was supposed to be at some place called Buvette, not IHOP. I just used IHOP as an example. Second time I led one of you astray, you're going to kick me off the team pretty soon, LOL!
LOL PG, you're killing me here today. :-D
I think it's odd that they would choose Jake to talk about James Baldwin.
Can see him at Buvette. Very nice small intimate cafe and wine bar here on Grove Street. Love the place myself. Little Owl, another intimate restaurant, is nearby too.
Will have to check with Destiny about going to the conversation at Columbia; interesting duo.
Saw ENEMY today with Destiny. I thought Jake was spectacular in it. I wish I had liked the film itself more, but Jake's performance(s) kept me more than interested. Tense, edgy, mature performances as the doppelgängers. He has his own unique idiosyncratic style that is indelible. It played here for two weeks at The Angelika Theater on East Houston Street, which is one of NYC's best independent features and documentaries cinemas. Now it's moved to a nice indie cinema in the East Village. I thought the film was ambiguous to a fault. I thought it was too ponderous and deliberate. I said to Destiny that in my humble view it was "David Lynch, Stanley Kubrick, Roman Polanski-Lite". The film had good music effects and a depressing visual sense (i.e. cold generic city look). I think that the director confuses stillness with suspense though, and it makes the film seem longer than it is in reality. Jake though is superb, no question.
Nice review, Roma. I enjoyed hearing your thoughts on Enemy. I don't doubt Jake's acting.
I like the idea of an OMG presence at the book talk.
That would have been fun to come up & join you guys, if you did go. I'm ready to hit the road, or sky as it were.
Although I kind of like doing the post- "♫♪ We were there! We were there!♪♫" that we sprang on everyone after the NY Film Festival.
;D
That was such an awesome time - I have such great memories from my trip to the Big Apple, except for my luggage getting lost for awhile, right Dest? lol. Thank goodness Destiny & her girlfriend even had a spare toothbrush for me. The consummate hostesses!!!
; )
I was thinking how cool it would be to get back together in NYC. It was amazing getting to see Jake in person that night. We were all so excited. I can't believe I live in Florida now. Living in NJ made it so easy to get up to the Big Apple.
I don't doubt Jake's acting.
Since when?
have you already forgotten the campaign "Enemy is the worst movie ever" and it's all because of Jake who can't act and was only good in BBM
Since when?
have you already forgotten the campaign "Enemy is the worst movie ever" and it's all because of Jake who can't act and was only good in BBM
I'm not taking back what I posted. You should see my file now - it's hUge.
But notice the comments were about the movie itself. They were about the ending. They were about the movie not making sense. They were about the $12.99 price paid. They were about the snoozefest and the walkouts. I don't know many, if any, mentioned Jake's "lousy" acting.
As usual, you totally miss important details for want of looking at the big picture.
You're never far away from Refresh, are you, constantly worried about what we're going to expose next. lol
I would love to give Austin's brown nips a little twist :-)
I liked Enemy more than Rosemary. I think the drabness and the stillness of the movie was to help create how trapped the character felt by his life, that it lacked excitement. I do think the film makes a certain amount of sense if you view it as someone who wants to break out of the ordinariness of life, and who is perhaps afraid that it will only get worse when his child is born. I do think the ending makes more sense than most people thought, so SPOILER ALERT FOR ANYONE WHO IS STILL THINKING OF SEEING IT....
SPOILER: I think the actual living person was the professor character, and that the other was made up to be who he would prefer to be--except that I think the pregnant wife was his real wife, and the girlfriend made up. I think he kind of comes to peace with his situation, kills off the ones that are not real....only to realize he hasn't escaped what for him is a nightmare.
I just saw Enemy and I liked Jake's performance.
I have seen the movie in a totally different way, I thought it was a movie about totalitarian regimes, and the world governed by the giant spiders was a metaphor against totalitarianism and as a human being trying to avoid reality
I thought Jake was AMAZING, his stage presence and his talent have left me breathless, and I kept thinking: "How this handsome, tormented man, with an incredible and complex talent can be the same guy who played Bubble Boy?"
How can the young girl who played Gidget and the flying nun grow up to be a two time Academy Award winner?
How can a man who plays a cross dresser in a silly sitcom called Bosom Buddies also become a two time Academy Award winner.
Two of the great of all time. It is called talent.
Can you name them ???
Many child stars have become great actors. No one more famous than Leonardo right now.
Hopefully Jake can continue to grow as an actor. I feel he needs to work with more talented directors though.
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