New Documentary Tells The Real Story Made Famous By Iconic Gay Film “Pride”
Decades on from the mining strikes in Wales during the Thatcher era in UK politics, the LGBTQIA+ folks who formed Lesbians And Gays Support The Miners (LGSM) continue their support and allyship with the Welsh communities of Dulais.
A new documentary called Pride In Our Valley has been made by Roger Tiley detailing the current state of Dulais and their lasting friendship with the LGSM founders, reports BBC News.
PRIDE
One of the most unlikely yet heartwarming tales of solidarity is the establishment of Lesbians And Gays Support The Miners – a group devoted to showing the queer community’s support of miners in a small Welsh village during the ’80s.
This era was not heralded for its progressiveness and finding LGBTQIA+ folks supporting rural miners seemed absurd. But this show of community and intersectional power was an inspiration. The 2014 film Pride details the formation of LGSM and shows how effective banding together is. It’s a prescient reminder of how overcoming the boundaries that separate us makes us all the more strong.
Sian James, one of the titular people depicted in Pride, still recalls what it was like to begin their alliance with LGSM. She says, “I said to my cousin, ‘are you so irresistible that someone’s going to jump on you?’ The women were ready to reach out,” reports BBC News.
Secretary of LGSM Mike Jackson says, “The men would be doing a bit of bawdy giggling at the prospect of these gay people coming to descend on their village and the women weren’t having it – they just said ‘these people have the decency to be supporting us… we want to extend the hand of friendship to them just as we would with anybody else’.”
The core tenet of activism is solidarity. It’s what makes Dulais and the LGSM such a successful grouping. In Pride In Our Valley, Roger Tiley unpacks the incredible feat of human connection that led to one of the most unlikely allies and how we can all learn from their persisting example.
