Magnus Hirschfeld

March 30 marks National Doctors Day, a time to recognize the invaluable contributions of physicians. While the study of queerness by medical professionals may seem like a recent phenomenon, its roots delve much deeper into history. Magnus Hirschfeld, born May 14th 1868, was a Jewish gay physician who dedicated his life's work to understanding and advocating for the queer community.

In 1897, Dr. Hirschfeld co-founded the first ever LGBTQ+ rights group, the Scientific Humanitarian Committee in Berlin. He went on to open the world's first sexology institute in 1919, The Institute for Sexual Science, which also housed the Scientific Humanitarian Committee. Not only did the institute conduct research, but it also provided a safe haven for marginalized individuals seeking support and understanding.

Dr. Hirschfeld's vision extended beyond the realms of medicine; he preached empathy and equality between sexes and acceptance of people who experienced gender and sexuality differently than the norm. He worked to enshrine these principles through scientific study, but after the rise of the Nazi regime, the Institute was violently sacked by Nazi sympathizers in 1933. Later the same day, Nazi soldiers stole all the books and research which were destroyed at a book burning event four days later. Dr. Hirschfeld was on a world tour during the destruction of the Institute and later tried to continue his work in France, where he lived with his research (and life) partners Karl Giese and Li Shiu Tong. Unfortunately, Dr. Hirschfeld died before a new Institute could open.

Despite such attempts to silence, Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld is known to this day as one of the most prolific intellectuals regarding the research and understanding of queerness, far ahead of his time.

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