This weekend, LGBTQ+ people from across Wales and beyond will come together in Cardiff for Pride Cymru. It’s a celebration of queer life, love, resistance and resilience at Coopers Field, with a powerful march through the heart of the city centre.
But this year, Pride carries an urgency that cannot be ignored.
Across the UK, we’ve seen a worrying rollback in LGBTQ+ rights. Westminster continues to chip away at the progress we’ve fought for, and trans people in particular are being used as political pawns. The UK Supreme Court has weakened the legal definition of hate crime. A trans-inclusive ban on conversion therapy has been shelved again. And a culture of fear and misinformation is being used to justify inaction.
At the same time, we’ve also seen a growing frustration within our own community. Political parties have been banned from marching in some Prides across the UK, a reflection of the deepening anger at the way LGBTQ+ people are used for photo opportunities and hollow diversity optics, while the real work of justice and equality is left undone.
In Wales, this decision has come with a cost. Some parties who have stood up clearly and consistently for the whole LGBTQ+ spectrum — including our trans siblings — have also been excluded. It’s a sign of how complicated and fraught the landscape has become.
But one thing is clear: we are no longer willing to accept empty words in exchange for visibility.
To rework a famous song:
I am what I am. I don’t want your excuses.
Because we know the difference between performative support and political courage. And we need the latter urgently.
Our rights were never gifted to us. We earned them through organising, protesting, and resisting. Pride has always been political. It has always been about power and survival.
So while we march through Cardiff this weekend, we must do more than celebrate. We must demand. And we must expect more, especially from Welsh Government.
If Wales truly wants to be the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe, it must be bold and be brave. That means publicly challenging the UK Government when it rolls back rights. It means standing with trans people not just in sentiment but in policy. It means funding services, protecting LGBTQ+ education, ensuring access to healthcare, and placing our community at the heart of decision-making.
Because actual actions speak louder than action plans.
And here’s a friendly challenge to Pride Cymru itself.
In a time when LGBTQ+ people are facing real and growing threats across the UK, Wales’s biggest LGBTQ+ platform has a responsibility to do more than host the party. Pride Cymru must create more space for LGBTQ+ people to take the fight directly to government and must join us in that challenge.
There is undoubtedly important work happening behind the scenes. We know these conversations are happening. But in this crucial time, people need to see that work. They need visible leadership. They need to know that someone is speaking up for them and with them.
Because it’s easier for others to stick their heads above the parapet when they can see others already doing it. When they know they won’t be alone.
Pride Cymru has the platform. Now is the time to use it. Loudly. Publicly. Politically.
Pride Cymru is a moment of joy, yes, but also of clarity. The fight is not over. And the flames that fuelled our past victories are still burning.
So whether you’re marching, performing, speaking or simply showing up this weekend, remember: you are part of something powerful. Something proud. Something urgent.
Let’s reignite the flame. Let’s show up for each other. Let’s refuse to go backwards.
We didn’t come this far to only come this far.
Queeraeth 
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