Willem Arondeús 

There were many, many queer people who actively resisted the Nazis. One very significant individual was Willem Arondéus, a gay Dutch artist and author. At 17, he was kicked out of his home because his parents wouldn’t accept him being gay. He went to art school with the dream of being a painter. He painted murals and worked hard to make a life for himself and his partner Jan Tijssen. He also was an author, writing a successful biography of a gay French artist which improved their financial situation.

Willem was active in the Dutch resistance, and was a leader in a cell that included many queer members such as lesbian Frieda Belinfante. Queer fighters didn’t just battle the Nazis, they used their skills to help Jews and others in need. Willem’s group created tens of thousands of fake identity cards for Jews, sparing them from deportation and death. When it was realized the original ID cards in the Nazi registry building could ruin this, Frieda came up with a plan.

Willem and the others stockpiled weapons, explosives, and stolen uniforms in the basement of a queer bar, Cafe Mandje. He led the attack on the Nazi building, which was successfully blown up, taking with it 800,000 original ID cards. Willem and Frieda were thus directly responsible for saving the lives of thousands of Dutch Jews. Though everyone made it home that night, someone betrayed the group and Willem was arrested. He refused under torture to name any one else in the group, but sadly his notebook was discovered and 11 other members were caught. 

Defiant to the last, Willem’s last words were “Let it be known that homosexuals are not cowards!” He and the other queer members of the cell were all executed, except one other and Frieda, who escaped by living disguised as a man until the resistance got her safely to Switzerland. Infuriatingly, Willem’s gay identity was hidden from the public until 1990. Though he was given posthumous honors and medals for his bravery, his last words and wishes were not honored until later.