Love Letters From Gay WW2 Veterans Replayed By Voice Actors Through A Rotary Phone In Oswestry

Via BBC Ms Hayward's work was inspired by the Gordon and Gilbert love letters, sent between two gay World War Two soldiers while one was stationed in Oswestry

LGBT Veterans of the British Armed Forces are refusing to wear a well-deserved award handed out recently, until “the wrongs have been put right”. It was illegal for people to be homosexual in the UK until the law was changed in 1967 in England and 1980 in Scotland. In 2017, the UK Government issued an official pardon for all those convicted of homosexual activity under these past oppressive laws. The military took a while longer to move on with the times, taking until 2000 to stop banning homosexual people from signing up to serve.  
 
With heavy origins in Christianity, homosexuality has become a symbol for the sins of vanquished Old Testament nations. It wasn’t in the 10 commandments, neither was it mentioned by Jesus or His Disciples, but because it appeared in a few lists of behaviours that resulted in demise, it’s always been seen as wrong by the orthodox. Perhaps, like the other wrongs they mention like eating pork and shellfish, homosexuality was seen as something to be avoided for health reasons. A superstitious people would blame things on God when they had natural causes. We know about disease now, and we must ask if, like eating pork and shellfish, homosexuality can be practiced in safe and proportionate ways.  
 
Being a gay soldier in the time of WW2 was a dangerous time. Not only was the enemy out to kill you, but the state was also out to imprison you as well. Like fighting an evil such as fascism, being gay isn’t something we can simply compartmentalise and walk away from. If you love freedom and you hate being bombed, you’ll do what you can do help. If you love a man and you can’t imagine loving another person, you’ll do what you can to maintain the relationship. This is captured in intimate detail with a new exhibition of audio-art in the village of Oswestry in the West Midlands.  
 
We should be thankful that these correspondences still exist, hundreds of letters between Gilbert Bradley and Gordon Bowsher have been meticulously stored and kept safe for almost a hundred years. The two soldiers wrote to each other at every opportunity and the contents of the letters offers a vast and intriguing picture of the lives that they shared. These and many other similar love letters collected by love-letter enthusiast and artist Megan Hayward have been turned into telephone calls for us to listen to. 
 
Held at the old Yoga Centre until September 28th, visitors are encouraged to visit Megan’s exhibition and romanticise themselves with a drenching of love language from the past. A large variety of stories and communications await, with their vintage being equally as large in range, you can visit the centre during business hours on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.  

If you're interested in collecting old letters complete with their antique stamps, you can find a good selection on eBay. Support Alternative Fruit with any eBay purchase from this link.