Glitter Cymru was set up in June 2016 as a monthly meet-up group for the LGBTQ+ Global Majority community in south Wales and beyond. You may be asking, what is the Global Majority community? The Global Majority constitutes an empowering term that flips a dominant eurocentric and North American narrative by reminding everyone that people from African, Asian, indigenous, Latin American, or mixed-heritage backgrounds, constitute approximately 85 percent of the global population and yet have traditionally been referred to as ‘ethnic minorities’ and/or ‘BAME-Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic’.
Glitter Cymru developed after hearing the frustrations of our community of not feeling welcomed, understood or represented by the wider LGBTQ+ community and in society in general. Thus, Glitter Cymru was born to be the possible antidote to the issue of invisibility that our community continues to feel, particularly in smaller Welsh cities like Cardiff, Swansea and Newport.
We come together at our meet-ups to shine, sparkle and feel visible – hence our group’s name is wonderfully apt. Please don’t dismiss Glitter as something merely synthetic used only in arts and crafts. Glitter represents so much more. Glitter represents unashamed and unapologetic visibility; a community that was once relegated to the margins of history now glitters and shines as a beacon of community hope and strength. Glitter is about being heard and the opportunity to listen to others. We have diverse stories. Our group attendees range from asylum seekers, refugees, international students and native residents. Glitter is acknowledgment and validation. The antidote to when we feel vulnerable, rejected or misunderstood.
You might be thinking, why is our group necessary? Why are we segregating ourselves? The truth is, many of our group attendees have experienced a great deal of exclusion and othering. For example, racism from the UK's predominantly white LGBTQ+ community to homophobia, biphobia and Transphobia from people of our own backgrounds and cultures.
Research is increasingly showing that LGBTQ+ Global Majority individuals, faced with challenges linked to intersectionality, report higher levels of discrimination than their predominantly white LGBTQ+ community members. This lived reality of our community members is a stark reminder of why Glitter Cymru as a community group is so important and urgently needed to safeguard a community that remains threatened and marginalised. We also recognize the central role our allies play in supporting the LGBTQ+ Global Majority community, by amplifying our voices and experiences and listening to our stories. We encourage our allies to join Glitter Cymru in helping ensure marginalized and historically persecuted LGBTQ+ communities no longer fear being their authentic selves and we stand united for a fairer and just society for all communities.
