A SPECIAL event has been organised in Caernarfon to celebrate a “very distinctive chapter in Wales’ LGBT history.”

Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM) was an alliance of lesbians and gay men who supported the National Union of Mineworkers during the year-long strike of 1984–85.

By the end of the strike, the London branch alone had raised £22,500 (£70,000 in 2020) in support of communities decimated by the deindustrialisation programme.

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The history was dramatized in “Pride”, a 2014 historical comedy drama film written by Stephen Beresford.

Among the film’s main characters was Jessica Gunning playing the part of Siân James, a campaigner in the Miners’ Strike who went on to become a Welsh Labour MP for Swansea East from 2005 to 2015.

During the 1984 miners' strike, Siân helped feed more than 1,000 families a week, and tonight (May 23), she will be lifting the curtain on the tumultuous history and sociohistorical context of the film.

She will be joined in conversation by Iestyn Wyn, campaigns, policy and research manager for Stonewall Cymru.

Osian Owen, who is organising the event on behalf of Llety Arall, a community enterprise in the heart of Caernarfon, said: “The event comes at an especially poignant moment.

“May 19 would have been Mark Ashton's 62nd birthday. Mark was co-founder of the LGSM group. He sadly died 12 days after being diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.

“He was a key figure in this chapter of Britain’s history, and was portrayed by Benjamin Schnetzer in Pride.

“Also, on May 17, we marked International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

“At times it’s hard not to feel as if society is moving backwards in attitudes towards the LGBTQ+ community.

“Recent research by Stonewall found that one in five LGBT people have experienced a hate crime because of their sexual orientation in the past year and over half of trans people have been subjected to a hate crime due to their gender identity.

“We hope this event will be a positive celebration of our diversity, and an opportunity to celebrate this very distinctive chapter in Wales’ LGBT history.”

The event is being held in Llety Arall’s community events room, Lle Arall, at 10 Stryd y Plas on May 23 at 7.30pm.

The event will also be livestreamed and those who wish to receive a link should contact Llety Arall on 01286 662907.

No registration is needed for those attending the physical event, and payment is on a “what you can afford/if you can afford” basis, a decision that was made in the face of the cost of living crisis, according to organisers.

Those who wish to receive updates should follow this link: www.facebook.com/events/326183722974712.