LGBT memorial will have 'healing power' - artists

A group of artists say they are honoured their design has been chosen for a sculpture commemorating the sacrifice of the LGBT community within the armed forces.

The forged bronze sculpture - called "Crumpled Letter" - was designed by the Norfolk and Suffolk artists' collective, Abraxas Academy, and chosen from 38 entries by a specialist panel earlier this month.

It will be installed at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire in August.

Abraxas Academy sculptor Nina Bilbey, said: "This is going to be a sculpture that will give armed forces, the LGBT people, somewhere to go to remember, but also know how fortunate they are now, of people's sacrifice."

The design and construction, overseen by LGBT military charity Fighting with Pride, has been funded by a £350,000 grant from the Office for Veterans' Affairs in the Ministry of Defence (MOD).

Metalwork will be made in at Holkham Forge and stonework designed and hand-cut in West Acre, Norfolk.

The letter bears a combination of words taken from evidence collected from former personnel who were impacted by the LGBT ban, which ended in 2000.

It symbolises swearing the oath of allegiance, the discarded evidence of mistreatment of LGBT personnel - and the comfort of letters from home while away on operation.

The memorial represents three of the 49 recommendations made in Lord Etherton's independent review into the service and experience of LGBT+ veterans who served prior to 2000.

Abraxas Academy includes artists Nina Bilbey, James Spedding of Holkham Forge, Charlotte Howarth from Norfolk - and Sue Aperghis from Felixstowe in Suffolk.

Lead artist Ms Bilbey said it was "such an honour" to have won the commission.

"We put in our proposal knowing how special this project was and putting our hearts and soul into it... it's very personal to our hearts and we are over the moon," she said.

During the process the group met veterans who were impacted by the ban and "lost their careers".

Ms Bilbey added: "We hope this memorial will help ease some of the distrust and pain suffered by individuals, past and present, and be of inspiration to future generations who will witness this work and be reminded of the healing power of reconciliation and the public acknowledgement of historic discrimination."

Kevin Bazeley, from Fighting with Pride, said the sculpture would be an "important focal piece" for years to come.

"I was a veteran myself and I served from 1985 to 1995 where I actually fell foul of that ban and was discharged because of my sexuality," he said.

"I know from personal experience the impact the ban had on many people.

"There were many examples of severe abuse, interrogations, imprisonment... this is very much focusing on remembering that and those injustices that happened but is focusing on the sacrifice and service of all the armed forces LGBT+ community."

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