Designed by Amsterdam-born artist Karin Daan in 1979, Amsterdam's Homomonument (gay monument) was the first of its kind. It was commissioned by the Homomonument society and was officially unveiled in September 1987 at the Westermarkt Immediately after World War II there were calls to establish a memorial to commemorate the gay men and women who lost their lives in the war. The call for remembrance finally gained traction in the 1980s, when more thorough research was conducted on the persecution of homosexuals in World War II. The Homo-monument makes a strong statement that history must not be repeated: "Never again". The monument goes beyond commemorating just the victims of World War II. It also commemorates all homosexuals who have been or are still being persecuted by government regimes.