There are a few Americans, such as the noted scholar and pseudo-historian Glenn Beck, who have declared that gay rights activists are modern Nazis leading an Inquisition that will turn into a Christian holocaust. Similarly, Mike Farris claims that gay rights will transform America into Nazi Germany. Beck and Farris, like many conservatives, are using emotionally-laden words without an understanding of the origins and deep meanings of these words.
Nazi:
The word “Nazi” came into English in 1930 from the German word “Nazi” which was an abbreviation of the German pronunciation of “Nationalsozialist,” which is from the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers' Party), led by Adolph Hitler. The Nazis controlled Germany from 1933 to 1945.
One of the primary features of Nazism is racism and anti-Semitism. Nazi hatred was, or course, not limited to race and Jews, but also included gays, transgender people, communists, and trade unionists. In this way, Nazis seem to resemble American religious conservatives far more than gay rights activists.
The Nazis felt that gay men were effeminate and weak, and were therefore incapable of fighting for their nation. They felt that homosexuality was contagious and that it was somehow associated with bestiality and pedophilia. There was a feeling that homosexuality could somehow be cured and experiments were carried out on imprisoned gays.
Under the Nazis, laws against homosexuality were strengthened and the Reich Central Office for Combating Homosexuality and Abortion was established. Once again, the Nazi approach seems more closely related to the approach of the right wing Christian theocrats than to the gay activists.
Holocaust:
While use of the term “holocaust” today brings to mind images of Nazi concentration camps in which Jews and gays were exterminated in large numbers, the word etymologically means “complete burning.” Its origins can be traced back to the Greek “holókauston,” a compound word made up of “hólos” meaning “whole” and “kaustós” meaning “burn.”
The first English writer to use the word “holocaust” was John Milton. Over time, the word came to take on the meaning of “mass murder” in addition to “complete burning.”
Fascist:
The word “fascist” came into English in 1921 from Italian. It comes from the anti-communist Partito Nazionale Fascista, which was organized by Benito Mussolini in 1919. The Italian word “fascio” means “group, association.” The word comes from the Latin “fascio” meaning “a bundle of hay.” About 1895 in Sicily groups of men organized for political purposes were known as “fasci.”
While fascism originated in Italy, it spread to other European countries. One of the characteristics of fascism is its vehement opposition to Marxism. Fascism is anti-communistic.
Fascists view democracy as obsolete. They believe that for the modern state to be prepared for armed conflict, a totalitarian state with a strong leader and a military-style government is needed for a stable and orderly society.
As a political philosophy, fascism has a preoccupation with community decline or victimhood. It is believed that superior people have a right to dominate society and to purge it of so-called “inferior” elements. Education should inform students about the historical and political importance of the state and ideas which are inconsistent with this goal should be purged. Students must learn patriotism and obedience to the state.
With regard to social issues, fascism tends to oppose birth control, prostitution, and homosexuality. Women are to be childbearers and large families are encouraged. Working women are seen as being incompatible with childbearing. Men are to be warriors.