Castle building with LGBTQ+ flags
LGBTQ+ pride flags on Cardiff Castle for Pride Cymru 2016

The LGBT community in Cardiff is the largest in Wales. The 2021 census found that 5.33% of people aged 16 and over identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or other.[1] It has also been ranked as the 8th most accepting city in the world for the LGBT community.[2]

History

Early history

Homosexuality was partially decriminalised in 1967. In part instigated by Cardiff born MP Leo Abse (whose MP seat was in Pontypool).[3]: 194–196 

Prior to the law change there is some evidence of LGBTQ+ culture in Cardiff around criminal records for cross dressing, gross indecency and buggary, though criminalisations were higher than rural areas they were minor compared to other UK cities.[4]: 23–25 

Cardiff's The Golden Cross opened in 1863,[5] it has been recognised as a gay bar since at least the 1970s when a wider commercial gay scene was first prominent in the city.[4]: 68–69 

1970s

A Cardiff-Newport branch of Campaign for Homosexual Equality (CHE) was formed in 1972, most of its 50+ members living in Cardiff, first meeting at the Blue Anchor pub on St Mary's Street (now Le Monde restaurant) but later moving to Chapter Arts Centre in Canton. More popular with men, a separatist women's group later formed.[4]: 98–100  A Cardiff faction of the Gay Liberation Front also formed in this era also meeting at the Blue Anchor.[5] Ken Follett wrote about the GLF in the South Wales Echo in 1971. The GLF later merged into the CHE group.[6]

Cardiff FRIEND, one of many the city based outposts of London FRIEND also ran from 1973 taking helpline phone calls from an office in St Mary's Street and later the Rights Information Bureau on Charles Street.[4]: 60–63 [7]

The Rights Information Bureau also held offices for the Gay Liberation Front group and the Nationwide Transvestite Group (an early Trans organisation) from 1971.[7]

1980s

In the 1980s there were a number of LGBT+ venues in Cardiff including the Tunnel Club (now Metros), Dubrovnik Restaurant and SIRS.[8][4]: 77–78  The city's oldest gay venue Kings Cross ceased to be an LGBT+ venue in 2013 when it became a gastropub called The Corner House.[9]

The 1980s also saw Cardiff's first dedicated gay street theatre groups, LGBTQ+ community centres and youth clubs.[4]: 82  As well as cruising areas being established, most popular being Bute Park, public toilets in Cathays Park and Cardiff Central Station.[4]: 51 

Inspired by London's Gay Switchboard, Zoe Balfour started Cardiff Lesbian Line in October 1981, which ran until at least the 1990s.[10][11][4]: 60 

1988 saw Cardiff hold a Wales Against Section 28 protest, alongside other city demonstrations across the UK.[12]

By the end of the century parallel roads Charles Street and Churchill Way had become heart of LGBTQ+ Cardiff, including Minskys, a popular cabaret and drag bar which eventually closed 2020.[13][14]

21st century

The early 2000s saw the popular LGBTQ+ club night Hell's Bent in Cardiff,[13] the short lived WOW bar on Churchill Way[15] and gay representation on Russell T. Davies' era of writing Doctor Who and its spin-off Torchwood series, both set in Cardiff.[16]

Terraced building with LGBTQ+ flags and sign 'Mary's'
Mary's LGBTQ+ venue on St Mary's Street in Cardiff

In 2007 the Iris Prize was formed in Cardiff which celebrates LGBTQ+ short films. It has an annual festival screening films open to the public.[6]

Cardiff's history of protests has continued, with Trans Aid Cymru being formed in 2020 after a group of activists held a protest outside of Cardiff Castle to protest the Gender Recognition Act 2004 reforms being dropped. [17] A second protest about the reforms was held outside the Senedd, after statistics were released showing that 70% of respondents supported the proposed changes to the gender recognition act.[18][19]

In 2022 Shash Appan lead a protest with Trans Aid Cymru outside Tŷ William Morgan to protest the delays in a UK Conversion therapy ban. [20] The proposed ban was initially dropped, before the government instead announced that they would be pushing forward with it, but that it would not include protections around gender identity. [21] Shortly after the Cardiff protest Hannah Blythyn announced that the Welsh Government would be seeking legal advice to determine if Wales could implement their own ban on conversation therapy. [20]

A further protest was held at Tŷ William Morgan in 2023 after the UK government blocked the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill from passing into law. Protesters from Trans Aid Cymru stuck homemade birth, death, and marriage certificates across the building, to represent how trans people regularly misgendered on these legal documents throughout their lives. [22]

Pride in Cardiff

The first iteration of Pride held in Cardiff was in 1985, which was a parade on Queen Street in the city centre organised by Cardiff University students (principally their GaySoc/Cardiff Lesbian and Gay Students group). [9][23][3]: 227–230  Organiser Francis Brown remembers attendance being less than 30[23] but Noreena Shopland's Forbidden Lives cites over 100 attendees.[3]: 227–230 

The march continued annually in the following years 1986 and 1987, finishing at the Kings Cross pub.[4]: 109–110 

Pride Cymru

The first Cardiff Mardi Gras was held in September 1999, and has happened annually since. In 2014, it changed its name to Pride Cymru.[24] In 2017 they took over the running of Cardiff Big Weekend, merging the event with their annual pride celebrations.[25]

Big Queer Picnic

The first Big Queer Picnic was held in August 2012 as an alternative to the commercialisation of Pride Cymru and the cost of tickets. It is run as a free community based event celebrating sexual and gender diversity. It is usually held on the Saturday of Pride Cymru in Sophia Gardens, Cardiff.[26]

Glitter Pride

The first BAME Pride held in Wales was hosted by Glitter cymru in August 2019.[27] Held as a community event to highlight the joy and diversity of the BAME LGBTQ+ community in Cardiff. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the second event didn't take place until 2022, with the event rebranded as Glitter Pride.[28]

Cardiff Trans Pride

In 2019 the first Cardiff Trans Pride was held across three days. Organised by Nerida Bradley and Miles Rozel the events focused on platforming trans voices and performers.[29][30]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the next Trans Pride wasn't held until 2023.[31] Returning on the 15th-17th of September, it had three days of events and a march through the city centre.[32]

Groups and venues

Cardiff has a vibrant gay scene, with all the main venues being within walking distance of each other. The Golden Cross, Mary's, Pulse, Eagle, and The Queer Emporium (containing Paned o Gê bookshop) are the backbone of the community.[33]

The Queer Emporium also hosts the annual Queer Fringe Festival in Cardiff, their first festival in 2022.[34] The Iris Prize is also an annual LGBTQ+ short film and prize awarding festival.

Cardiff has multiple LGBTQ+ choirs including the South Wales Gay Men's Chorus, Cardiff Trans Singers and Songbirds.[35][36]

There are also a number of social and mutual support groups in the city. Glitter cymru are a Cardiff based but Wales wide community group for ethnic minority LGBTQ+ people.[37] Trans Aid Cymru are a transgender, intersex, and nonbinary mutual aid group founded in Cardiff in 2020.[38]

St Fagans, the Museum of Cardiff and Glamorgan Archives collect artifacts relating to Cardiff LGBTQ+ life.[6][39][40]

Demographics

The 2021 Census showed that 5.33% of Cardiff's population identifies as LGBTQ+. 0.71% identified as having a different gender identity than the one registered at their birth. Both percentages are the highest throughout Wales. [41][42]

Notable residents

Those identifying as LGBTQ+ past and present:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Sexual orientation - Census Maps, ONS". www.ons.gov.uk.
  2. ↑ Andrews, James (2022-03-08). "The most LGBTQ+ accepting cities". www.money.co.uk. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  3. 1 2 3 Shopland, Norena (2017). Forbidden lives : lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender stories from Wales. Jeffrey Weeks. Bridgend, Wales. ISBN 978-1-78172-410-1. OCLC 994638129.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Leeworthy, Daryl (2019). Little gay history of Wales. Wales. ISBN 978-1-78683-481-2. OCLC 1123216974.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. 1 2 "Gay Cardiff in the 1970s | Cadw". cadw.gov.wales. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  6. 1 2 3 "Welsh Pride - A Timeline of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender (LGBTQ+) History in Wales" (PDF).
  7. 1 2 "Rights and Information Bureau". www.pridecymru.com. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  8. ↑ "Lost LGBT Cardiff Walking Tour" (PDF).
  9. 1 2 Evolution of LGBTQ+ in Cardiff, retrieved 2023-02-18
  10. ↑ Ali, Joseph (2021-02-16). "Untold story of one of the women behind Cardiff's Lesbian Line". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2023-02-16.
  11. ↑ "Fair Deal". South Wales Echo. 20 October 1995.
  12. ↑ "Queer Wales and the anniversary of Section 28 repeal". South Wales Argus. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  13. 1 2 Rees, Claire (2017-05-12). "The LGBT guide to Cardiff". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  14. ↑ "A new 300-capacity club, Carpe Noctem, is opening in Cardiff". DJMag.com. 2022-01-27. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  15. ↑ Jones, John (2023-02-04). "The pubs, bars, and restaurants Cardiff has lost since pandemic began". WalesOnline. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  16. ↑ "Who's Queer Now - Pride Cymru". www.pridecymru.com. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  17. ↑ All, Joseph (25 Jun 2020). "Trans rights campaigners criticise reports Boris Johnson is dropping support for self identification". Wales Online.
  18. ↑ "Consortium's response to Government's announcement on GRA reform". www.consortium.lgbt.
  19. ↑ Ali, Joseph (September 22, 2020). "Protesters criticise UK plans to scrap self-identifying policies". Wales Online.
  20. 1 2 ""Torture Won't Fix Me. I'm Not Broken" - Trans Rights Activists Send Message Of Resistance To UK Government In Cardiff -". April 30, 2022.
  21. ↑ Gallagher, Sophie; Parry, Josh (1 Apr 2022). "Conversion therapy: Ban to go ahead but not cover trans people". BBC.
  22. ↑ Ali, Joe (February 23, 2023). "Birth certificates plastered over government building in protest over gender laws". PinkNews | Latest lesbian, gay, bi and trans news | LGBTQ+ news.
  23. 1 2 "Pride Cymru: 35 years since 'huge step' in Cardiff". BBC News. 2020-06-20. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  24. ↑ "About - Pride Cymru". www.pridecymru.com. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  25. ↑ Mosalski, Ruth (2016-12-20). "Cardiff's Big Weekend is coming back". Wales Online. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  26. ↑ "Banner". Museum Wales. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  27. ↑ "Flyer". Museum Wales. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  28. ↑ "Ffotograff (digidol) | photograph (digital)". Museum Wales. Retrieved 2023-12-16.
  29. ↑ https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/trans-pride-cardiff-2019?
  30. ↑ "Trans Pride Cardiff 2019". Eventbrite.
  31. ↑ https://twitter.com/TransPrideCDF/status/1684950258776743936?t=w851itePgqemdZJoOPHlhA&s=19
  32. ↑ Evans, John (September 13, 2023). "Cardiff Welcomes Back Trans Pride for 2023: A 3-Day Extravaganza". LGBTQYMRU.
  33. ↑ Rowlands, Berwyn (2022-12-20). "Out and about in the Welsh capital". www.visitwales.com. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  34. ↑ "The Queer Fringe Festival". The Queer Fringe Festival. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  35. ↑ "South Wales Gay Men's Chorus". Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  36. ↑ "Songbirds Choir". Songbirds Choir. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  37. ↑ "About Us | Glitter Cymru". 2020-07-14. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  38. ↑ Ali, Jospeh (2 June 2021). "Pride Month: Some of the Welsh LGBT+ organisations you can help". Wales Online. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  39. ↑ "Collecting LGBTQ+ histories at St Fagans National Museum of History". Museum Wales. Retrieved 2023-02-18.
  40. ↑ Shopland, Noreena; Leeworthy, Daryl (2018). "Queering Glamorgan" (PDF). Retrieved 18 February 2023.
  41. ↑ "Sexual orientation - Census Maps, ONS". www.ons.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-02-14.
  42. ↑ "Gender identity - Census Maps, ONS". www.ons.gov.uk.
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