Homosexuality runs through all classes of society and not all homosexuals were victims during the war. While many gay people who were too poor (like Horst) or too naïve (like Rudy) ended up in concentration camps, others used their money (like Uncle Freddie) or their power (like the concentration camp commandant or some of the German officers) to stay out of harm's way.  Max occupies a middle spot in this spectrum between resistance and collaboration, as initially he tries to survive against all odds and perhaps later even escaping the camp, but he undergoes a transition because of Horst's influence and realizes one cannot always change one's luck through sheer willpower.  The play was the first time that popular culture had acknowledged the fact that the gay men were victims of the Holocaust, and helped pave the way for more historical research and documentaries to be released about the fate of homosexuals under Nazi Germany.