THE Bishop of Llandaff, the Rt Revd Mary Stallard, has described Pride in Wales as “an exquisite, welcoming festival”.
“I feel an important sense of being welcomed myself, in addition to having a possibility as Christians together to supply a welcome to everyone who’s here,” she said, after the two-day gathering in Cardiff last weekend.
The 12 months also marked the tenth anniversary of the Faith Space, run in partnership with Llandaff diocese and The Gathering, Cardiff, a neighborhood ecumenical church for LGBTQ+ people and their allies. Anglicans, Methodists, members of the United Reformed Church, and Quakers are amongst the numerous volunteers. St John the Baptist, Cardiff, on the parade route, handed out water and sweets.
The Gathering, CardiffThe Gathering, Cardiff
The event in Cardiff is described as “the largest and most vibrant celebration of equality and variety in Wales”, and attracts hundreds of marchers, spectators, and participants annually. The Visit Wales website terms it “a weekend where people come together to have fun their uniqueness, and where everyone seems to be equal, no matter sex, age, gender, race, social background or sexual orientation”.
Bishop Stallard presided on the Pride eucharist, with two of The Gathering’s pastoral leaders: the Revd Delyth Liddell, a Methodist minister, and the Revd Ruth Owen of the Church in Wales. The Revd Rosemary Hill, of Open Table East Cardiff, within the neighbouring diocese of Monmouth, said that participating in Pride was “a joy and a privilege”.
“It was wonderful to have the option to reveal how far the Church in Wales has are available in terms of inclusion within the last ten years, but additionally acknowledge how far is left to go and to be a hopeful presence for LGBTQ plus people, each inside and out of doors the Church,” she said.
