First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
That is true, the Nazi’s didn’t go after sexual minorities until 1934, but persecutions began for socialists, communists and sexual minorities (as their supporters were largely overlapped) years before that. I mostly have a burr in my britches over Niemöller leaving out other victims of the holocaust like the Roma and what today would be called LBGT+ people. But it’s not a competition, the poem’s point stands that the Nazis come for everyone eventually because fascist ideology is intrinsically corrosive - it needs a constant threat to justify it’s ever-consuming need for power.
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
Then they came for the trade unionists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a trade unionist
Then they came for the Jews
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Jew
Then they came for me
And there was no one left
To speak out for me
They actually went after trans people first last time as well.
“First they came for the trans people, but I didn’t speak out because nobody ever even fucking told me they did this until like last year like wtf…”
Depends on what you count as “first”. The communist groups (that likely had trans people in them) were the first placed into concentration camps.
You’re likely referring to the first Nazi book burning which included sexual health literature on trans healthcare.
That is true, the Nazi’s didn’t go after sexual minorities until 1934, but persecutions began for socialists, communists and sexual minorities (as their supporters were largely overlapped) years before that. I mostly have a burr in my britches over Niemöller leaving out other victims of the holocaust like the Roma and what today would be called LBGT+ people. But it’s not a competition, the poem’s point stands that the Nazis come for everyone eventually because fascist ideology is intrinsically corrosive - it needs a constant threat to justify it’s ever-consuming need for power.