According to Q.Digital’s 2024 LGBTQ+ Travel Survey, 91% of responders “care about the policies and laws of destinations that [they] visit.”
While Florida is scrubbing the state’s tourism website of LGBTQ+ content, the birthplace of Shirley Bassey, Luke Evans, and Elizabeth Taylor’s fifth and sixth husband is happily rolling out the rainbow carpet.
In 2021, the Welsh government launched an LGBTQ+ Action Plan for Wales, intending to make Wales the most LGBTQ-friendly country in Europe. According to a report released last year by Stonewall Cymru, the country’s leading LGBTQ+ organization, one-third of Wales now identifies as “at least a little bit queer.”
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Well, we at GayCities are more than a little bit curious. Join us as we explore six highlights of queer Wales–past, present and future.
PAST
Lesbian Icons: Plas Newydd and the Ladies of Llangollen
After the families of Lady Eleanor Butler and Miss Sarah Ponsonby prohibited their friendship, they set off to create a new life for themselves across the Irish Sea. In 1780, they made a new home in Llangollen, a small town near the Welsh border with England. Known for dressing in men’s garments and sharing a (quite small) bed, they are speculated to be one of the first lesbian power couples of the 18th century.
They also could’ve had their own home makeover show. As oak grew out of fashion, the ladies happily upcycled oak furniture and carvings from homes and churches to transform a simple stone farmhouse into an eccentric gothic home. Today, you can stroll through Plas Newydd’s ten acres of gardens, visit the ladies’ living quarters, and stop for a sweet treat in the tea room.
Dancing Queen: Plas Newydd House and Henry Paget
Same name; different queer icon. Plas newydd simply translates to “new house” in Welsh, hence the many spots sharing the name.
This Plas Newydd House in Northwest Wales, now under the care of the National Trust, was once home to Henry Paget, the 5th Marquess of Anglesey. Over the years, he’s been nicknamed the “Dancing Marquess” and the “Elton John” of Edwardian high society. Though he only lived to 29, he made quite a splash and bankrupted his family in the process.
He converted a portion of his mansion into a theater where he staged lavish productions, many starring himself in women’s clothing. Though much of the historical record was destroyed, we know Paget also toured Europe with a show called “The Famous Electric Butterfly,” starring himself, naturally. Like a moth to a flame, he was drawn to the limelight.
Soon, his story will once again flutter into modern culture with the release of a new biopic “Madfabulous,” starring Callum Scott Howells and Rupert Everett.
PRESENT
Into the Welsh Woods
Take it outside, but make it gay. Wales has the longest continuous coastal path around any country in the world and an interior blessed with a lush, rolling landscape. The Gay Outdoor Club (celebrating its 50th anniversary this year) and Outdoor Lads are both LGBTQ+ social clubs with activities all around the UK. Their Welsh chapters invite all ages and fitness levels to hike, climb and swim in the country’s most picturesque spots. Get your steps in, make new friends and enjoy Wales’ impressive natural beauty.
A Haven for Cardiff’s Queer Community
A hybrid community space, shop and cafe, The Queer Emporium is almost exclusively operated by minority-gender members of the community and is a place where queer youth thrive.
An Impact Report found that one in ten of their customers are under 18 and a further 40% are aged between 18-25. The Emporium fosters community for those too young to enjoy mainstream LGBTQ+ spaces or alcohol-centric venues.
What started as a pop-up shop in 2021, has evolved into a newly renovated, permanent, pink-painted storefront in Cardiff’s Royal Arcade. Stop by to shop, eat or attend an event like “Transition,” an evening dedicated to trans, non-binary and fluid individuals with performances and Q&As with guests from organizations like Trans Aid Cymru.
FUTURE
Pride Cymru Returns in 2025
This year, Pride Cymru (Cymru is the Welsh word for Wales) celebrated its 25th anniversary, with 16,000 people marching through Cardiff’s city center and celebrating with Main Stage headliners Vengaboys and Jake Shears. The mile-long parade and two-day festival is Wales’ largest and one of the UK’s most popular Prides.
On June 21-22, 2025, Pride Cymru returns and moves from Cardiff Castle (where it was held this year) to the larger Coopers Field, allowing for more stages, a bigger VIP area and even more market stalls featuring LGBTQ+ businesses.
Wales Gets Sporty: EuroGames Cardiff 2027
Earlier this year, Pride Sports Cymru won its bid to host EuroGames in Cardiff in summer 2027. The largest, annual, multi-sport event for LGBTQ+ athletes and allies in Europe, EuroGames will be celebrating its 35th anniversary in Cardiff and plans to welcome upwards of 4,000 athletes from across the continent, competing in more than 25 sporting events. Visitors can expect ceremonies, conferences and outreach ventures alongside the sport competitions. And, of course, a four-day, city-wide party.
Wales has come a long way in its quest for queer inclusivity. In 2003, they repealed Section 28 of Margaret Thatcher’s Local Government Act that prohibited the “promotion of homosexuality.” Their 2021 LGBTQ+ Action Plan included the creation of timelines documenting the country’s LGBTQ+ history.
Today, the Stonewall Cymru report indicating that 34% of Welsh citizens identify as “at least a little bit queer” also concludes: “Working collaboratively to reform access to healthcare, freedom from discrimination at work and in school, and empowering people with the information they need to look after themselves and others is a key part of the Welsh Government’s aspiration to become the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe.”
Dames Bassey and Taylor would approve.
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