Last weekend saw Coopers Field in Cardiff explode into colour for the annual Wales LGBT Mardi Gras, billed as 'Cardiff's Biggest Free Party'! This year I was helping out on the PCS Wales stall, which proved to be a long but really enjoyable day. From what I could see, it was a lot busier this year than the last couple and the atmosphere there was just terrific.
What is great about the Mardi Gras is the mix of people - drag queens, leathermen, daddies, transvestites, butch dykes, lipstick lesbians and twinks in purple shorts all mingling with the straights who just want to be part of the day, all sharing the same space. It really is an inspiring sight just watching everyone being able to be themselves. Shame it can't be like this in the real world, eh!
The stall was a big success too, with a lot of attention from people who were after the freebies. This year we had two petitions on the go (in support of gay marriage and to save the Equality and Human Rights Commission from government cuts) for which you could get a free lollipop. We got a lot of signatures!
Luckily, the predicted rain held off until we were packing up to go. And when Mike kindly dropped me back at my lodgings I was still wired from the days events - took two or three glasses of Tesco Value Whiskey to get me back down. And then later (when Stu and I had planned to go to the newly opened Eagle Bar in Charles Street) I crashed big time. Needless to say we spent the night in!
Still, it had been worth it. And I'd happily do it all over again next year.
Here are pictures from the day. Big thanks to Jan and Mike for letting me be part of it!
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