Queer British Art – Tate Britain

This exhibition moved me like no other ever has, it showcased the works of artists who identified as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer. An exhibition like this has never taken place before, where the entirety of the works involved in the exhibition are created by LGBTQ artists and as I am bisexual: this was very touching.
There were pieces dating back to 1800s, costumes from actors who would dress up as the opposite sex, the prison door of Oscar Wilde and love letters from gay lovers. These gay lovers were called Montague Glover and Ralph Hall and in these letters they’d call each other ‘my darling’ and ‘my dear’. It was very touching to finally see such normal behaviour that usually occurs between couples, being openly displayed between two men.

At the end of the exhibition, the last room was large and square, shelves all around, holding white cards. The idea was, you write how the exhibition made you feel and how it impacted you.
When reading these cards, some were filled with gratification for an exhibition such as this, whereas most were all anecdotes and stories from actual people. Words of encouragement to fight prejudice, anecdotes about coming out, and many stories about love.

I had never experienced such a personal and emotional exhibition and it is one I will never forget.

Bibliography: 
Gay love letters through history: http://rictornorton.co.uk/hall.htm
Queer British Art: http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/queer-british-art-1861-1967
Queer British Art review: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2017/apr/03/queer-british-art-review-tate-britain