One of the important recommendations in the LGBT Veterans Independent Review by Lord Etherton was that there should be a Government funded public memorial at the National Memorial Arboretum, to all LGBT people who have served and continue to serve in the military. The report went on to say that the design of the memorial should be a work of collaboration by appropriate organisations, including those which have the support and respect of veterans who served under, and suffered from, the Ban (R17 and R18 of the review report). The Government has agreed to fund a Memorial and has allocated a grant to FWP for this purpose.
Roly Woods has been appointed by the Fighting With Pride Board of Trustees to lead this important project as Memorial Officer, very ably assisted by my Deputy, Kevin Bazeley.
Critical elements of the project are that the Memorial should reflect the views of the LGBT serving and veteran community and that the memorial will provide an appropriate environment for remembrance, build community pride and raise broader awareness of the LGBT Armed Forces community and their experiences. The Memorial will also aim to improve the health and wellbeing of LGBT Veterans, serving personnel and their families, through active recognition and inclusion of the LGBT Armed Forces community. It is hoped that the memorial will be completed Summer/Autumn 2025, the 25th anniversary year of the lifting of the ban on LGBT service.
A Steering Group has been established, comprising individuals from organisations and charities with deep knowledge of memorialisation, together with Veterans and serving military LGBT advocates. A series of virtual townhall meetings and in person regional meetings will be held to gather the views of the LGBT Armed Forces Community. Ideas and proposals from these community consultations will then help inform the design process and final selection via the Steering Group and Board of Trustees at FWP. The FWP website and monthly newsletter will feature regular articles, and bespoke updates will be provided as appropriate. The aim is to ensure that everyone interested in this important and exciting project is kept up to date with progress.
FWP is extremely proud to have been selected to manage the creation of this incredibly significant memorial. We will deliver a sustainable, high quality, well designed and lasting memorial which brings together ideas from LGBT+ Veterans, serving personnel and their families and of which this community will be enduringly proud. We hope you will join us in this important endeavour.
You can find out more about the Memorial Team here.
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