Kevin-Niklas Breu

Kevin-Niklas Breu is a doctoral candidate in History at the University of Bremen specializing in LGBTQ history and AIDS activism, affiliated with the Latin American History research group. His work examines transnational social movements, particularly ACT UP and gay rights movements in the United States and Latin America during the late 20th century, with emphasis on marginalized voices and civil rights struggles during the AIDS crisis.

His academic credentials include:

• Master's in History (2014-2018) with thesis on ACT UP activism in San Francisco, graded 1.02 (Sehr gut)
• Bachelor's in History and Media Studies (2011-2014) with thesis on Reinaldo Arenas and US gay rights movement, graded 1.5
• Academic year at UC Santa Barbara (2016-2017) researching California AIDS activism

Breu's research centers on the intersection of sexuality, health policy, and political activism, investigating prison abolition campaigns by ACT UP, the legacy of Gay Liberation, and transnational connections between US and Latin American LGBTQ movements. His work highlights how border-crossing strategies and exile experiences shaped AIDS activism during the 1980s-1990s, particularly through analyses of the Mariel boatlift's impact on gay communities.

His publication record reveals consistent thematic focus on transnational AIDS activism, demonstrating how local movements like ACT UP/San Francisco developed international networks while confronting health crises. This body of work bridges US and Latin American historical contexts, emphasizing how identity, migration, and state policies intersected during the peak of the AIDS epidemic.

His scholarly contributions have been recognized through competitive awards:

• Doctoral Grant from Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (2019-present)
• Pre-Doctoral Grant from University of Bremen (2018-2019)
• DAAD Graduate Studies Grant (2016-2017)
• UCSB History Associates' Monica Orozco Prize (2017) for Latin American history research

With extensive teaching experience as a tutor in Latin American and Medieval history (2013-2016, 2017-2018) and research assistant roles including exhibition curation on historical propaganda, Breu demonstrates strong pedagogical and archival skills. His current doctoral research, funded by Germany's premier academic foundation, continues to advance understanding of transnational LGBTQ activism through rigorous primary source analysis.