The Drag collective fighting for a queer, independent Wales

The Welsh word “Cŵm” is pronounced exactly as you fear. It means the valley, the landform that is perhaps most associated with the country. It is in the famous valleys of Wales that you can find a perfect example of the complexities and contradictions contained in a small nation. Among the breathtaking natural beauty are pockets of hardship; communities hung to dry amid pastoral peaks and scarred troughs left by ancient glaciers.

It was this area and all the history, struggle, beauty and pain wrapped up in it that gave the name Cŵm Rag, a collective of Welsh homosexuals who left Wales and moved to London. After several years of playing in East London at venues such as Dalston Superstore and The Glory, the band traveled to Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), climbing the country’s highest peak in Trans Aid Cymru suits.

Filmed for S4C, Homecoming saw the collective explore the realities of gay people growing up in Wales, reflecting on their departure and the communities they have formed. After appearing on Gogglebox SC4, they headed home to Cardiff for a sold-out show at the Wales Millennium Center in March. Photographer Megan Winston was there to capture the chaotic atmosphere backstage.