The upside down triangle reminds us of the horrors of the Nazi concentration camps. It was used as a form of identification to denote why prisoners had been placed there.

 

A badge of shame, pinned to the chest with numerous codes and variations to further segregate the captive populous. Pink triangles were used to dehumanise gay men.

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A black triangle adorned the chests of the perceived 'asocial/deviant' elements of society, including:

the mentally ill, alcoholics, drug addicts, vagrants, beggars, prostitutes and lesbians. 

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Just as the pink triangle has been reclaimed by activists as a symbol of pride, power and liberation, McCourt has included the black triangle to remind us of the abhorrent historical context, as well as to represent her own sense of misplaced identity growing up in rural Lincolnshire.

 

 

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