: Collections & Research

Museum Voices: Mark Etheridge on LGBTQ+ History and Activism

Mark Etheridge, 27 February 2025

Mark Etheridge, Principal Curator of Collection Development: LGBTQ+.
© Amgueddfa Cymru

It’s LGBTQ+ History Month and this year’s theme is Activism and Social Change. Founded by Schools Out in 2025, LGBTQ+ History Month creates a dedicated space to celebrate our diverse and rich LGBTQ+ history.

To mark the occasion, we interviewed our principal curator of LGBTQ+ collections at Amgueddfa Cymru to explore the items in our collections that capture these key moments in Wales’ LGBTQ+ activism history.

Hi Mark, would you like to introduce yourself and tell us more about your role at Amgueddfa Cymru?

So yes, I’m Mark Etheridge. I'm the Principal Curator of Collection Development: LGBTQ+ at Amgueddfa Cymru based at St Fagans National Museum of History.

I started this role in developing the LGBTQ+ collection back in 2019, at a time when there were a very small number of objects that could be tagged as LGBTQ+ related. These objects were predominantly around some historic figures, pride events, and Section 28, but they were in no way representative of the cross-section of the whole LGBTQ+ community across Wales, both in the past and in contemporary experiences.

I’ve worked with a variety of community groups and individuals over the last few years to build up a collection that's far more representative and we now have a collection of over 2,200 items tagged as LGBTQ+.

Large protest banner made by CYLCH in a demonstration against Section 28. The slogan is a play on words, translating to 'your clauses make us sick'.
© Amgueddfa Cymru

With it being LGBTQ+ History Month, the theme for this year is Activism and Social Change. With your knowledge of LGBTQ+ history in Wales and in your own lived experience, what changes have you seen?

This year’s theme fits in well with our collections and our new LGBTQ+ display case in St Fagans, Wales is… Proud, which is the first permanent display of LGBTQ+ history at Amgueddfa Cymru. The display shows how equal rights have changed over the past 50-60 years and are currently evolving and changing today. We’ve seen, and this is what the new case goes into, things like the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967, the formation of groups like the Cardiff Gay Liberation Front in the early 1970s, protests against Section 28 in the late 1980s and 90s, through to some of the most recent trans rights protests against things like conversion therapy, which have been happening in Cardiff and across Wales over the past few years.

The areas that I’ve been collecting over the more recent years are the changes in 2021 to the ban on gay and bisexual men being allowed to donate blood, along with the Church in Wales Bill which allowed same-sex marriages and civil partnerships to be blessed from September 2021.

So, I think that the current protests and activism around improvements to equal rights shows that it’s still ongoing today and it didn’t end in 1967.

Report relating to the Church in Wales Bill, passed in September 2021.
© Amgueddfa Cymru

Would you be able to tell us more about the items on display at St Fagans that touch on those moments in LGBTQ+ activist history?

One of the items in the case is the Church in Wales Bill, I collected a number of items around the legalities of it, along with a handwritten speech by the Bishop of Llandaff who spoke in support of the bill.

To accompany these items and to bring a personal element to this historic moment, I collected an order of service for two gay men who had their marriage blessed following the bill.

With a lot of the collecting that I’m doing, it’s not just about the facts around the changes in equal rights, it’s about how it affects the LGBTQ+ community and the personal stories around them.

It’s really special that we can capture the personal experiences behind these historic moments. Could you tell us a bit about how you go about acquiring these pieces, especially when they are personal items?

Placard 'Rhaid Gwahardd Therapi Trosi'. Used at a protest, organised by Trans Aid Cymru, against conversion therapy, 26 April 2022. 
© Amgueddfa Cymru

Sometimes it’s reaching out to people through social media or you happen to meet somebody who offers to donate an item to our collections.

Part of it is also working with certain organisations; Trans Aid Cymru have been very supportive of my work and have helped me collect placards that had been used at various trans rights protests which they held in Wales.

It’s important that we build connections with members of the LGBTQ+ community, whether that’s individually or as support groups, and that we provide a safe space for the collection and stories to be told.

In addition to Trans Aid Cymru, have you worked with other LGBTQ+ charities and groups? And which ones do you believe need more of a spotlight?

I’ve worked with a few groups like Glitter Cymru and Pride Cymru but also worked with the smaller Pride groups.

Banner made by Glitter Cymru, used at first Welsh BAME Pride held in August 2019.
© Amgueddfa Cymru

There are a few of them who I recently reached out to and have been supportive in donating objects to our collections, such as Merthyr Tydfil Pride, Pride Caerffili and Flint Pride.

I think all of the ones I’ve mentioned are important to support, as the smaller Pride events in the local communities are vital in allowing people to attend Pride whilst also having the LGBTQ+ community be represented and seen in smaller communities.

It’s about visibility, Glitter Cymru have been very supportive when I first started in this role in 2019, and they provide a very specific need in Wales of supporting LGBTQ+ global majority people. There’s lots of different charities and lots of different groups, all supporting many different areas and with their own value. 

Sign from The King's Cross public house, 25 Caroline Street, Cardiff, 1990s.
© Amgueddfa Cymru

If we think about the new display at St Fagans and our wider collection of LGBTQ+ items, what piece would you say resonates with you the most?

It’s quite a personal one, we have a sign from a pub called The King’s Cross in Cardiff, and that was one of the first gay pubs I went into after I came out. It was a gay venue from the early 70s right through to when it closed in 2011.

I have that personal connection there and I think our collections are important from that perspective, you want people to resonate with them for whatever reason, whether that’s to encourage them to become more activist, or to allow them to connect with an item on a personal level where it brings back certain memories.

We want the museum collections to allow people to make those connections.

Reg and George having a picnic with their dog. They met in 1949 and were together for over 60 years.
© Mike Parker/Amgueddfa Cymru

Absolutely, and going back to Activism and Social Change, it doesn’t necessarily need to be a protest. At times, it’s just existence.

Yeah exactly, and I think that’s something I recently mentioned in a talk about our Reg Mickisch and George Walton collection from On The Red Hill. I think they are an example of that, as them living their everyday life together during a time when it was illegal is a form of activism in itself.

Activism isn’t just about protesting, simply existing as an LGBTQ+ person, especially in times where it was and is illegal or taboo, is a form of activism in itself.

That’s something I’m quite keen for the displays to show that it isn’t just about activism in terms of protesting and pride, but that there are lots of stories just about LGBTQ+ people living their everyday lives in Wales.

As well as the new LGBTQ+ display case in St Fagans, what would you like to achieve next?

We’re still actively collecting LGBTQ+ history, and we especially want more items around early activism and early stories about LGBTQ+ people living in Wales.

We’ve got the new case in St Fagans and LGBTQ+ related things, say, in the art department at National Museum Cardiff, but we’ve got less on some of our other sites.

So I think the next step, is to start using the collection to build more displays and weave it into the story of each site and everything we do.

Our new LGBTQ+ display case in St Fagans.
© Amgueddfa Cymru

How would you compare the history of LGBTQ+ Activism and Social Change, to activist groups of today and the political landscape?

The fight for equal rights is still ongoing in lots of ways. The worry for some people is that the rights granted can be rolled back. They can just as easily be rolled back as they can go forward. We can’t take certain things for granted, and we do have to remember that.

You know, this is evident in things like the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1967 where it was only partial decriminalisation under very specific circumstances.

It’s like the Church in Wales Bill, they went one step to allow same-sex marriages to be blessed in the Church of Wales but didn’t go the further step to allow them to be married.

It's little things like that, where it may be one step forward, but it isn’t necessarily going the full way.

Thank you Mark, for taking the time to discuss our LGBTQ+ collections in relation to Activism and Social Change. I’m excited to see the collection grow and for it to become more of a permanent feature in the story of our museums.

© Amgueddfa Cymru

Now, we’d like to finish by asking what is your favourite item in our collections outside of your work?

This glass plate negative was taken by Mary Dillwyn in 1854 or 1855. Mary is one of the first women photographers in Wales and this negative is from a large collection at Amgueddfa Cymru taken by members of the Dillwyn Llewelyn family. I love that this image captures what is probably the first photograph taken of a snowman in Wales; with the collection also containing many firsts in Wales such as the first photograph of bonfire night.

You can explore more of our LGBTQ+ collections online, visit our new LGBTQ+ display case Wales is… Proud at St Fagans, or discover our Lesbian and Gays Support the Miners collection in our current Streic! 84-85 Strike! exhibition in National Museum Cardiff, open until 27 April 2025.

LGBTQIA+ History Month

Georgia Day, 5 February 2025

1 Corinthians 12 introduces its readers to the lasting image of the fledging church as a physical body – each part with different but important roles to fulfil. This metaphor has endured for centuries, and is a challenging one for many Christians today, who struggle with things like hard denominational boundaries and tribal us/them attitudes. For Fr. Ruth, a queer priest in the Church in Wales (CiW), it has a similarly challenging but uplifting message. 

Ruth is a curate (trainee vicar) in the Islwyn Ministry Area in the Diocese of Monmouth, and she’s part of a team that looks after twelve different churches up and down the Gwent Valleys. She’s also bisexual, gender-non-conforming, and in a civil partnership with her spouse, Hannah. In addition to her ministry in the CiW, Ruth is one of four Pastoral Leaders of an ecumenical LGBTQ+ church in Cardiff called The Gathering. 

If that surprises you, that’s okay. But, despite what you may have been taught, queer people have always been a part of the life of the church. We have always been vicars, ministers, deacons, worship leaders, caretakers, congregants, youth group leaders. We are a part of the heritage and life of the church in a way that has, for too long, been overlooked and brushed aside.

The Anglican Church, in particular the Church of England, is undergoing a real reckoning at the moment over the issue of blessing same-sex marriages. The CiW has already had this conversation, and voted in 2021 to bless the marriages of same-sex couples. Whilst, for many, this does not go far enough, it is generally seen as a good first step, and it sets a precedent for other Anglican churches also having this discussion. It also puts those campaigning for marriage equality in a really good position for the Church in Wales to formally allow the sacramental celebration of marriage (hopefully) soon. The current position is bittersweet for many, though. As Fr. Ruth explained to me: “When the current legislation passed, that was a huge change for the Church in Wales. But I felt quite conflicted about it. In part, I am delighted that we can offer something to people for whom the church have been offering nothing. But, in part, it feels like a half-hearted step, where, what you're saying is ‘we're going to recognise that these relationships are good and holy and that God can bless them, but we're not willing to offer you the sacrament of marriage’. It feels theologically incomplete. And it's hurtful, as a queer person in a relationship, to know that the sacrament of marriage is withheld from us.”

It is still a huge deal, though, especially when you consider the length of Christian history that we were completely excluded from the public life of the church. We were still there, though, in closets and in the background, and I like to find queerness reflected in artwork throughout Christian history. It’s forever fascinating to me the ways in which artists, for hundreds of years, have been interpreting biblical stories in ways that we, as audience members and critics, can see the homoerotic. In this artwork, we can see ourselves reflected; here, in the shadow of gender transgression, there, in the hint towards homoeroticism. Indeed, for many artists throughout history, the only acceptable outlet for them to express their homoerotic desires was to displace them through artistic interpretations of ‘safe’ stories and figures – biblical scenes and characters. For example, artwork depicting the martyrdom of St. Sebastian is almost always homoerotic – after all, an attractive young man, mostly naked, is often depicted as being penetrated by arrows.

For Ruth, the ways in which she honours her place in the Church, and where she sees herself in the heritage of the church, is through the practise of the Eucharist. A useful image for her in thinking about the Eucharist is that of a human heart. “During the Eucharist, the church is like the chambers of the heart. It draws in that which needs nourishment. In the movement of the Eucharist, the nourishment is received, like blood going out to the lungs and coming back again, and then it's sent back out into the rest of its community.” So, when Jesus says, at the Last Supper, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19, NRSV), and we partake in this remembrance, we become a part of something bigger than us – an invisible string that stretches back centuries, connecting everyone across the world that’s ever remembered Jesus’ life in this way, like branches of a nervous system spanning time and space and holding us together. In this act of remembrance, “in becoming the body of Christ, all of the boundaries get blurry. So we become parts of a whole. That requires all of our differences.” It requires our differences in sexuality and gender identity, and how we interact with the world around us as embodied creatures. “As someone who the church historically would have said ‘we have no need of you’, I find it really, really heartening that those who still wish queer folks weren’t in ministry can't say ‘we have no need of you’. Because here we stand within the sacramental honours of the life of the church. You cannot say to me: I have no need of you. The challenging side is, I can't say to them I have no need of them either. We are brought together in that wholeness. And that wholeness is of God and so it's not up to us to say we have no need of one another.”

In a world full of divisive individualism, rituals like a Eucharist serve as an important reminder that we are a part of a much, much larger whole. The human body is an ecosystem of multitudinous grace, apathy, compassion and anger – never just one thing, always many interlinking feelings and experiences and beliefs. And, if a single human body is an ecosystem, how vast must the ecosystems of our societies be? Another word for Eucharist is Communion. This is the term that I grew up with in my faith tradition, and it holds both a special and fraught place in my heart because of it. The obvious reason behind it being called Communion is that it is through this ritual that we commune with God – we honour Jesus’ life and death, and are in communion with something greater than ourselves. But, through the connections and interconnections of this action, are we not also in communion with one another? Are we not then, in spite of all the things that separate us, one body? 

 ‘Indeed, the body does not consist of one member but of many. If the foot would say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” that would not make it any less a part of the body. […] If the whole body were an eye, where would the hearing be? If the whole body were hearing, where would the sense of smell be? But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. If all were a single member, where would the body be? As it is, there are many members yet one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” […] If one member suffers, all suffer together with it; if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.’ (1 Cor. 12:12-26, NRSV). 

World AIDS Day 1 December

Mark Etheridge, 27 November 2024

On the 1 December 1994 a tree was planted in the Gorsedd Gardens in front of National Museum Cardiff.

The tree was planted on World AIDS Day 1994 as a memorial to those who have died of AIDS in Wales. Since its planting it has been known by a few different names including the Tree of Life and the Red Ribbon Tree, and has become the focus for yearly World AIDS Day commemorations on 1 December each year, with people attaching red ribbons to the tree.

The tree was planted by Mike Phillips and Martin Nowaczek (co-founders of Cardiff Body Positive), along with the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Cardiff. At the planting a balloon was released for all those who have died of AIDS in Wales. By the end of 1994 (the year the tree was planted) there had been 10,304 reported AIDS cases and 7,019 known deaths in the UK (with 141 cases and 118 of these deaths in Wales).

Speaking about the planting of the tree Mike recalls that “I was around 25 when we planted the Red Ribbon Tree. We’d opened the Cardiff Body Positive drop-in-centre the previous day and Martin, already ill, was feeling tired. He died less than 6 months later”.

The plaque next to the tree was rededicated in 2021 and the original plaque donated to St Fagans National Museum of History. It was displayed at St Fagans in 2022/23 as part of the exhibition Wales is… remembering Terrence Higgins.

The Cardiff Body Positive collection recently donated to Amgueddfa Cymru is closely associated with the tree as its co-founders Mike and Martin planted the tree in 1994.

Cardiff Body Positive was founded in 1993 and were based at 57 St Mary Street, Cardiff. It supported people living with HIV and AIDS from across Cardiff and south Wales, and was one of a number of Body Positive groups around the UK. Their drop-in centre opened the day before the Tree of Life was planted, and they later organised what they called a ‘Celebration of Life’ at the tree – celebrating the lives lost to AIDS and showing solidarity and support to those living and affected with HIV/AIDS. The Cardiff Body Positive newsletters in the collection contain some obituaries for those who died of AIDS in Wales including its co-founder, Martin.

Cardiff AIDS Helpline was also operating about this time as well as the South Glamorgan AIDS Network. It was Cardiff AIDS Helpline that organised the first Candlelight Memorial to be held in Wales, which was held on 1 December 1993 on the steps of National Museum Cardiff, with almost 600 people attending. They held another World AIDS Day Candlelight Memorial in 1994 on the evening following the planting of the tree.

Today there is still no cure for HIV, but effective treatment now means that people with HIV can’t pass the virus on and can live long and healthy lives. The Welsh Government HIV Action Plan as well as organisations and networks such as the Terrence Higgins Trust, and Fast Track Cymru are working towards preventing new infections and eliminating stigma by 2030.

A new non-native clam found in the Thames

Sophie Fletcher, 18 November 2024

Hi! I’m Sophie, a Biological Science student at Cardiff University. Currently, I’m undertaking a Profession Training Year within the Mollusca section in the Natural Sciences Department at Amgueddfa Cymru under the supervision of curator Anna Holmes. My passion for zoology has inspired me to pursue opportunities that deepen my understanding of the animal kingdom. I love learning about different species and their unique roles within ecosystems. While Malacology is a new field for me, I am eager to explore the world of molluscs and broaden my zoological knowledge.  

During my placement year I will be working with Anna to research a non-native species of bivalve, Potamocorbula amurensis known commonly as the Amur River clam. Specimens recently collected from the Outer Thames Estuary have come to us for identification confirmation and, if correct, it will mark the first record of P. amurensis in the UK. Native to China, Japan and Korea, Potamocorbula amurensis has been previously recorded in San Francisco Bay, where it spread rapidly, and more recently in Belgium. One of the most common ways bivalves are introduced to new environments is through ballast water from ships. Ships take in water in one area, along with small organisms, and then release it in another, leading to the introduction of non-native species. 

Over the past two months at Amgueddfa Cymru, I have been engaged in a variety of tasks that have allowed me to gain valuable experience and knowledge in malacology. In preparation for our report, I have been researching previous studies on Potamocorbula amurensis, particularly focusing on its invasions in San Francisco and Belgium. I have been using a light microscope and Helicon Focus software to photograph bivalves from the museum’s collections, some of which are over 100 years old. Specifically, I have been imaging the specimens of possible Potamocorbula amurensis from the Thames, as well as specimens of that species and similar species that were already in the museum’s collection, taken from their native habitat of Asia. I am comparing them with the Thames specimens to provide a positive identification. 

Additionally, I have been imaging other species from the same family, Corbulidae, also known as the basket clams, to examine the differences between similar species. In the UK, the only native species of Corbulidae is Varicorbula gibba, and it’s usually found burrowed in coastal mudflats or estuaries, hiding just below the surface. These shells are very small and must be imaged carefully, from several angles, ensuring the lighting emphasises the specific features that aid in identification. The right valve is notably larger than the left, earning it the nickname “overbite clam”. Each valve features a tooth, an important characteristic for identifying bivalves. 

Recently, ethanol preserved samples of Potamocorbula amurensis have been collected from the Thames. In the next few weeks, I will be analysing the DNA of these specimens, with the hope of discovering if the UK population came from the San Francisco introduction or the native population in China.   

 Understanding the presence and spread of non-native species like Potamocorbula amurensis can have significant ecological and economic implications. Invasive species often disrupt local ecosystems, outcompeting native species, altering habitats, and affecting biodiversity. Some non-native species (around 10-15% of them) can become invasive and by identifying the pathways of introduction and tracking the spread of Potamocorbula amurensis, we can better inform conservation strategies and management practices to mitigate its impact on local environments. 

In addition to my research project, I’ve also been given the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in curating shell collections.  I have been sorting through the CCW – Lloyd James shell collection, cataloguing it into the museum’s Mollusca database. This process involves carefully organising and documenting the specimens, ensuring accurate records for future reference and research. Working with this collection has given me the chance to appreciate the incredible diversity of British molluscs and observe firsthand how intricate and beautiful their shells can be. One standout for me has been Palliolum striatum a stunning scallop species with vibrant colouring and beautifully ridged patterns. 

My time at Amgueddfa Cymru so far has been nothing short of wonderful. The staff in both Mollusca and Natural Sciences as a whole have been incredibly welcoming and supportive. They have generously shared their expertise with me, not only expanding my knowledge, but also deepening my appreciation for all the great work the museum does. I’m truly grateful for this opportunity and excited for what the rest of my placement will bring. I look forward to continuing my work here and learning even more from the incredible team. 

The Urban Meadow at National Museum Cardiff

Heather Jackson, 29 October 2024

The Urban Meadow at National Museum Cardiff is a little haven for pollinators in the city centre. On a summer’s day it is teeming with bees, hoverflies, grasshoppers, ladybirds and craneflies. 

Monitoring the meadow, and managing it for wildlife, is vital to make sure it continues to provide an environment where these creatures can thrive. Mowing too frequently, or not removing ‘problem plants’ like brambles and trees, could damage the harmonious interplay between different types of plant.

This year, with help from Greening Cathays and support from the National Heritage Lottery Innovation Fund, we’ve been trialling new methods of surveying the plant life so that Volunteers and non-specialist Museum staff can help us keep track of the meadow biodiversity. This will help us to manage the meadow in the future.

As well as contributing to our understanding of the meadow, our staff and volunteers have reported the well-being benefits of working outdoors:

“If I could, I would stay out here all day, it’s such a nice environment to be in”.

“I feel like I’m doing work – but it doesn’t have the stress of work. It’s the perfect balance”.

Staff and volunteers have also felt more motivated or confident to get involved outside of work:

“I have patch of grass at home, I’m now on a mission to rewild it. I really want to know how to do that, I feel more motivated now I’ve seen what can be there”.

"It’s quite empowering feeling you've recorded data that will be used, makes me want to get involved in more things like this".

What did we find?

On the Urban Meadow plants such as Common Bird’s-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare), Lady’s Bedstraw (Galium verum) and Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) add colour to this part of the city every summer. The appearance of the meadow changes subtly throughout the season, depending on which plants are in flower.

Several native grasses, including Meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis), Cock’s-foot (Dactylis glomerata) and Timothy (Phleum pratense) grow on the meadow.  However, we do not want the grasses to outcompete other species.

The vegetation surveys demonstrated that, although the meadow is relatively small, there is a mosaic of plant communities, reflecting small-scale differences in environmental factors.  For example, we found that one corner of the meadow is damper than the other three corners and a charmingly named grass called Yorkshire-fog (Holcus lanatus) has dominated here. 

To let other flowering plants, which attract insects for pollination, have some space to grow we are going to invite staff to help with sowing seeds of Yellow-rattle (Rhinanthus minor) this autumn. 

This annual plant is a parasite on grasses (Poaceae) meaning it gets nutrients by penetrating the roots of the grass, and restricting the its growth. Many meadows may need an application of Yellow-rattle seed this autumn because the grasses have coped better with the hot weather than the smaller brightly coloured plants. The Yellow-rattle seeds are sown in the autumn because they need to sit in the soil during the winter and experience the cold to germinate. The yellow flowers appear in spring, followed by seed pods which ‘rattle’.

We will also create training opportunities for staff and volunteers to help with scything the meadow to get the ground ready for the next year.

The Urban Meadow hasn’t just been an opportunity to increase biodiversity at National Museum Cardiff, it has helped people too. Cultivating a wildflower meadow takes years but is a testament to the resilience and ever-changing charm of the natural world. We hope to continue working with staff and volunteers to care for our meadow, for the benefit of people and plants.