Hay Pride was founded by Helen Jane Campbell (she/her) and Graham Nolan (he/him) with the goal to make a safe, accessible space for queer people living in the countryside. “Rurally, we are different from cities. We don’t have queer spaces,” Graham explains. “We don’t have community groups. We don’t have artists. That’s one of the really big reasons we feel that it is important work that we are doing.”
Launching for the first time in 2022, Graham and Helen were expecting 100 people to descend on the town square with rainbow banners and glitter. On the day, over 1,700 people turned up to celebrate – queer folk and allies alike. Miss Drag UK’s own Boo La Croux welcomed all into Hay Castle for a day of joyous celebration.