London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Pride in Wales: Rural towns to hold events for first time

Pride in Wales: Rural towns to hold events for first time

A number of towns in rural mid Wales are holding Pride events for the first time.

The aim is to to celebrate the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer people who live in the countryside.

It is 50 years since the Pride movement began in London and its parades now attract thousands every year.

But these smaller events want to increase visibility of LGBTQ+ people in rural areas and tackle loneliness and isolation.

Ivy Taylor lives in Llandrindod Wells, Powys, and said she did not realise being trans was even possible while she was growing up.

She only knew that she felt alone, and had to leave.

"[There are] so few trans people in this area, who are living openly and authentically that I almost didn't realise that it was a possibility, that it was something I could do, that there was a more authentic version of myself that existed that I could embrace," she said.

Ivy Taylor said she doesn't believe rural areas are homophobic, there just aren't enough people to build communities


Living in Brighton for several years helped her discover who she really was. But she wanted to return to her roots in rural Wales where she feels she has found her true self and wants to help others.


'Be who you are without judgement'


"I think there is a sort of misconception that rural areas are more homophobic or transphobic or less accepting, that hasn't been my experience at all," she said.

"I would say that the issue is largely population density. There are fewer people so it's harder to build those communities."

Ivy is one of the organisers of Llandrindod Wells Pride which will be held next weekend.

She said she feels relieved and grateful to see how many shop windows have been dressed in rainbow colours to welcome the Pride event.

"Pride is helping to bring together an otherwise very atomised and disparate community… letting them know that it is safe and accessible and they can just be who they are entirely without judgement."

Isolation is something farmer Andrew Powell, who grew up on a family farm in Caerphilly, also experienced.

Andrew Powell said seeing role models like rugby referee Nigel Owens in the public eye is "great"


"I think it was isolation I felt a lot, I didn't have anyone to look up to that was like me, someone to talk to, to understand things," said Andrew.

He is part of the charity Agrespect which works to raise the visibility of the LGBT community in the countryside.


'Huge steps forward'


Andrew attends Young Farmers Clubs (YFC) events, but said it was hard being in such a social setting while feeling so lonely, although he felt things were improving.

"There was the juxtaposition of being in a very social group, but also feeling isolation and lonely most of the time," he said.

"We've got people like Nigel Owens president of national YFC which has been a great thing having someone openly gay in the public eye."

Andrew said he saw this year's rural Pride events as a hugely positive development, and the fact that the Llandrindod Wells event was happening at the same time as the Royal Welsh Show, in nearby Builth Wells, was the icing on the cake.

"A lot of people can't get to Cardiff to Pride, a lot of farming families only go to the Royal Welsh Show, it is the only time they leave the farm," he added.

Hay-on-Wye has already had its Pride event, but organiser Graham Nolan was scared no-one would come when he sent out the notices. He said he could not have been more wrong.

"The whole town really showed up," said Hay Pride organiser Graham Nolan


"The event blew us away! We were not expecting the kind of numbers we had," said Graham.

"It was like when you are a little kid and you think no-one is going to come to my party and then suddenly everyone comes.

"It was incredible and the whole town really showed up, the sense of allyship, the sense of community that was created by the event was spectacular, we are pinching ourselves that we still managed to pull it off."

Graham Nolan plans to hold many more Pride events in the future


"It was such an amazing response, a mother, who I'd never met before, stopped me and broke down in the street saying how important it was for her young person that this event happened," he added.

"Our legacy going forward is how to create more events," he said, adding: "Our work will continue and there will be a 2023."

That's a view Shaun Griffiths in Llandrindod Wells agreed with. He said before he got involved in Pride he could go for a month without seeing another gay person.

Shaun Griffiths said a Pride event in the town will be one of the most important moments of his life


As mid and north Powys LGBTQIA+ peer support worker for the mental health charity Mind, he's seen first-hand the impact such isolation can have on mental health .

He said the Pride event in the town will be one of the most important moments of his life.

"This has probably been the most wonderful journey I've ever been on, it's going to be amazing and I am really excited to see where this will lead us to in the future."


Many towns are to highlight the LGBTQ+ lives to celebrate Pride for the first time


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×