London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Oct 25, 2025

LGBTQ: Wales' bid to be 'most friendly' nation in Europe

LGBTQ: Wales' bid to be 'most friendly' nation in Europe

"I don't want to just survive. I want to be happy."

Callum Lea has suffered multiple homophobic attacks and said he just wanted to live without having to "expect a lot of abuse" due to his sexuality.

The 26-year-old from Cardiff believes more has to be done to raise awareness and education about LGBTQ+ issues.

The Welsh government has now outlined its plans to make Wales "the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation" in Europe.

The most traumatising incident happened to Callum earlier this year when he was verbally and physically attacked in Cardiff.

"There was a group of lads that started to verbally assault me and call me every homophobic word under the sun," he said.

The group pushed him to the floor and he was "kicked repeatedly".

"I was left with cuts, bruises. I had a mild concussion, whiplash and I was traumatised.

"I felt embarrassed. I didn't want people to see that someone had got the better of me."

It is not just physical attacks that hurt Callum - he said he has become used to comments, looks and other micro-aggressions.

In the past, he said he preferred to walk down a street alone so friends and family did not have to see people "staring or laughing" at him.

"I just want to live my life, carefree like everyone else.

"I don't think anyone else would ever consider going to the shop to get some milk and… have to consider that they are going to be abused that they going to be attacked… that's no way to live."

Callum insisted LGBTQ+ people "need to be part of the conversation" in improving awareness and education.

What is Wales' LGBTQ+ plan?
First Minister Mark Drakeford went to the 2019 Pride Cymru parade

The Welsh government has launched a consultation for its action plan, developed in collaboration with members of the LGBTQ+ community.

Its purpose is to help "coordinate action between the government, stakeholders, the public and other agencies".

The plan includes:

* Ensuring LGBTQ+ rights are "recognised and mainstreamed" across the public sector
* Seeking to devolve powers in relation to gender recognition and support transgender people
* Using all the powers it has to ban "all aspects" of conversion therapy
* Ensuring strong relationship between LGBTQ+ people and the police and reviewing the under-reporting of LGBTQ+ hate crimes
* Designing a fully inclusive curriculum and ensuring colleges and universities are LGBTQ+ inclusive

Hannah Blythyn has called the plans "very ambitious"

The plan was launched by deputy minister for social partnership, Hannah Blythyn, who said the "authenticity of her experiences" as a gay woman had helped the process.

"It's a political priority of the Welsh government but it's personal to me too and I'm really proud and quite moved to be in that position and to really drive this forward," she said.

"Launching our action plan today will allow everyone, right across Wales to help us achieve our goal to become the most LGBTQ+ friendly nation in Europe."

The plan was was formed following a report by an independent expert group, which laid out several recommendations.

Lu Thomas, chairwoman of the group, said: "Ministers have continually used the phrase 'progress is never inevitable' and with the release of the consultation today, it clearly shows the Welsh government is committed to achieving real progress in our society."

LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall welcomed the consultation.

Iestyn Wyn, the charity's campaigns, policy and research manager, said: "An LGBT person's life touches upon all those policy areas, it's important that we recognise what are the different challenges in those different policy areas, so that Welsh government can take the necessary action to ensure that we work towards a Wales that is a safe place for LGBTQ+ people to thrive."


Callum says a homophobic attack left him feeling "weak and embarrassed"


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×