As the National Museums of Wales celebrates its first permanent display on LGBTQ+ history, what other queer heritage sites can be discovered in the Welsh capital?
The colourful flags cut through the grey landscape of a wet morning on the outskirts of Cardiff. Flying in unison, the iconic red Welsh dragon and a six-stripe rainbow mark the entrance of St Fagans National Museum of History.
As two symbols of pride in modern Wales, the flags are a fitting welcome for visitors during LGBTQ+ History Month, the annual celebration of the lives and achievements of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people.
“LGBTQ+ history is Welsh history,” says Mark Etheridge, a curator of LGBTQ+ history at the museum. “It is so important that the lives and experiences of queer people living in Wales are visible in our heritage institutions”.
Inside St Fagans, a new display case has just been opened dedicated to these histories. Titled Wales is… Proud, visitors can now see banners, buttons and other paraphernalia from Welsh LGBTQ+ history up close.
For Mark, the unveiling is a step forward for queer representation in the national collection of Wales. Initially a temporary exhibit, this display is now a long-term fixture in the Wales is… gallery, a large exhibition space dedicated to Welsh stories from prehistory to the present day.
“This is a milestone as the new display is the first time that Amgueddfa Cymru has had a permanent display dedicated to LGBTQ+ history. The fact that LGBTQ+ history is [now] included here really shows that these stories deserve a space within our national institutions,” says Mark.
Many of the LGBTQ+ items in the national collection of Wales have been acquired during Pride events or donated by activists and campaigners. For this reason, Mark says the permanent launch of Wales is… Proud during this year’s LGBTQ+ History Month is timely, given the event’s 2025 theme of ‘Activism and Social Change’.
“This year’s LGBTQ+ History Month fits perfectly with the collection we have on display here at the museum. From an LGBTQ+ history point of view, protests and activism are so important. These have been the events that have forced and encouraged changes and ultimately led to improvements in equal rights for the LGBTQ+ community.”
In Wales, many of those hard-won battles have old and new connections to Cardiff, home to the nation’s biggest LGBTQ+ community. Mark says, “Cardiff has been the focus point for a lot of protests and activism over the years, from the early 70s when Cardiff Gay Liberation Front formed, to the 80s when they met to protest against Section 28, right through to current protests such as those organised by Trans Aid Cymru.”
This rich history is reflected in Cardiff today, where a thriving queer scene boasts many sites of historic interest. Starting at St Fagans in the west, where else can locals and visitors connect with Cardiff’s queer heritage?
1. Wales is… Proud – permanent exhibition at St Fagan’s
This permanent exhibition is a milestone for queer representation in Wales. Showcasing artefacts from Pride demonstrations, many donated by grassroots groups and activists across Wales, it is an inspiring entry point into the often-overlooked history of Welsh LGBTQ+ lives.
2. The Golden Cross – Cardiff’s oldest LGBTQ+ venue
The Golden Cross is a legendary gay bar affectionately dubbed “the grand old duchess of LGBTQ+ Cardiff” by Pride Cymru. Open since 1863, it has been a staple of Cardiff’s community and commercial gay scene since the early 1970s. In 2003, it made LGBTQ+ history by hosting the reception for the first lesbian commitment ceremony in Wales.
3. National Museum Cardiff – Gwen John & other queer artists
The National Museum Cardiff houses work by many trailblazing queer artists including Gwen John (1876-1939), Cedric Morris (1889-1892), Elizabeth Kemp-Welch (1869-1958), Angus Suttie (1946-1993) and David Hockney (1937-).
Until 27 April this year, visitors can also visit the exhibition Streic! 84-85 Strike!, to learn about a historic alliance between a lesbian and gay advocacy group and the National Union of Mineworkers during their year-long strike of 1984-1985.
4. Tree of Life – Cardiff’s AIDS memorial
Standing quietly in the beautiful Gorsedd Gardens, the Tree of Life is a living memorial to honour those in Wales who have lost their lives to the ongoing AIDS epidemic. Planted on 1 December 1994, World AIDS Day, the tree is a focal point for annual remembrance. Each year, to mark this day, the branches are adorned with red ribbons, the international symbol of AIDS awareness and solidarity.
5. Cardiff Bay – Ivor Novello & Dr Who
As home to the Senedd, Cardiff’s waterfront has long been a stage for LGBTQ+ activism, hosting demonstrations against Section 28 and gay conversion therapy.
More recently, it has also become a site of celebration. In 2012, the Pierhead hosted Wales’s first LGBTQ+ exhibition, where National Poet Gillian Clarke read her poem Sarah at Plâs Newydd, Llangollen, 5 July 1788, which she dedicated to the Welsh LGBTQ+ community. Overlooking the bay also stands the bronze statue of Ivor Novello, the celebrated 20th-century Welsh playwright. A gay man, his sexuality was once considered an open secret but is now an honoured part of his legacy.
Cardiff Bay also holds a special place in queer pop culture, thanks to BBC shows Doctor Who and Torchwood, both celebrated for their bold and complex LGBTQ+ characters. Filmed in the onsite BBC studios, the bay features prominently in both series. Today, visitors can pay their respects at Ianto’s Shrine, a fan-created memorial to Torchwood character Ianto Jones that has become an enduring symbol of queer love and fandom.
6. Queen’s Street – Wales’s first Gay Pride
In 1985, the first Gay Pride event in Wales took place when LGBTQ+ activists marched down Queen Street in the city centre holding signs which read “Gay love is good love” and “Sing if you’re glad to be gay”. Organised by the Gay Society at Cardiff University, this landmark event was attended by less than 100 people but over the years has evolved into the annual Cardiff Pride parade organised by Pride Cymru. In 2024, 50,000 people took part, travelling from across Wales and internationally. The 2025 parade will take place on the 21st and 22nd of June.
For queer history enthusiasts, this list only scratches the surface of Cardiff’s colourful past and present. For more resources on LGBTQ+ histories in Wales take a look at Pride Cymru’s Lost LGBT Cardiff map or the Museum of Cardiff’s LGBTQ+ Timeline, collated by Welsh historian Norena Shopland.
Happy LGBTQ+ History Month!