"An emotional day." LGBTQ+ veterans view UK’s first national memorial for LGBTQ+ military personnel for the first time
– 2 min read
Veterans have expressed deep emotion after viewing the UK’s first national memorial for LGBTQ+ military personnel, currently being crafted at Holkham Forge in Norfolk. The bronze sculpture, Crumpled Letter, will be installed at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire this August.
The memorial was recommended by a review into the historical mistreatment of LGBTQ+ service members, who until 2000 could be dismissed or imprisoned for their sexuality.
Created by the Abraxas Academy artist collective, the sculpture is inspired by a letter used in a court martial and includes words from the Lord Etherton review. Artist James Spedding said the project has been intense but rewarding.
Fighting With Pride, the LGBTQ+ veterans charity, wrote on Facebook: "An incredible day spent with veterans of the gay ban and current serving members of the Armed Forces LGBTQ+ networks at Holkham Forge with the artists of Abraxas Academy to see progress on the National LGBT+ Armed Forces Community Memorial.
"It was an emotional day with everyone seeing the memorial approaching its completed form for the first time and able to take in some of the words and visuals that will define this as a truly stunning installation.
"A huge thank you to all who attended and to Abraxas Academy for taking time out of their busy schedule to complete the memorial in order to show us their work in progress. Those who were there, also had the opportunity to 'leave their mark' on the memorial using a hammer to create some of the texturing for the memorial."
Retired naval commander Roly Woods, who served under the ban, said the memorial marks a powerful moment of recognition. “People lost careers, homes, and dignity simply for being themselves,” he said.
Former Royal Military Police officer Kate Holvey-Williams, who left the army just before the ban was lifted, said, “We gave everything for our country. It ended only because of who we loved.”
Roly Woods added, “This gives veterans and current personnel a place to reflect on how far we’ve come.”
