2 days ago
PCC tells MS: ‘Pride isn't a threat to Prestatyn's identity'
Organised by Prestatyn Town Council, the event took place throughout Saturday afternoon (June 7), and featured a parade up High Street, LGBTQIA+ organisations, speciality acts, and performers.
The event was well-attended despite poor weather, and was held during Pride Month, which is celebrated annually in June - the month when the 1969 Stonewall riots took place.
Mr Davies, who himself is a resident of Prestatyn, questioned who 'wanted' and 'funded' Saturday's event – to which Mr Dunbobbin, who was in attendance, replied: 'Pride is not a threat to Prestatyn's identity.'
Highlights from Prestatyn Pride 2025 (Image: Newsquest) Mr Davies said on Sunday (June 8): 'Never in my five years on the (town) council did the notion of Prestatyn Pride ever come up, and I was only on there between 2017-22, so hardly back in the stone ages.
'This is not an anti-gay post; far from it. I fully support the progress that has been made over the years and decades in terms of the laws and rights that gay people have in comparison to yesteryear. And I have many gay friends and have employed gay people.
'But I have to draw the line somewhere, and speak up for the many constituents who have contacted me on this matter, in asking: who wanted this event and called for it?
'Who funded it? Is it in the best interests of the residents of Prestatyn and surrounding areas? Who does it benefit?
Opal Rose at Prestatyn Pride 2025 (Image: Newsquest) 'There are many more questions, but that's the bones of it.'
Mr Davies said the town council 'not once' extended an invitation to him to Saturday's event, despite it having 'promoted the event endlessly through their own channels'.
Similar annual events along the North Wales coast take place in Rhyl (at The Bodfor pub) and in Colwyn Bay (at the town's promenade).
He added: 'We've got to remember that Prestatyn, in comparison, is a very higher age demographic in comparison to the rest of the Vale of Clwyd, and pretty socially Conservative.
'And where those residents won't make much noise publicly, they'll do it through me and other people to voice their concerns.
'So, the general plea would be: We're not Liverpool, Manchester or a major city. We're very small coastal communities where such things matter much more than if it were in bigger areas.
'It's the town council to make those decisions and I won't do anything to get in the way of that. But they're my own remarks and analysis as your local MS, which I have every right to do.'
When given the opportunity by the Journal to respond to Mr Davies' comments, Mr Dunbobbin said Pride events are about 'visibility, belonging, and inclusion for people in every community'.
The High Street parade at Prestatyn Pride 2025 (Image: Newsquest) They are not about 'cities or scale,' he added.
Mr Dunbobbin said: 'The idea that Prestatyn is somehow 'too small' or 'too conservative' for a Pride event isn't only out of step with the values of equality, but it's deeply dismissive of the LGBTQ+ residents who live there - people who contribute to our community - just like you and me.
'I've seen arguments framed as 'not anti-gay... but' followed by loaded questions about who asked for this event, who funded it, and what benefit it brings.
'These are not neutral inquiries - they are rhetorical devices designed to cast suspicion and suggest that LGBTQ+ visibility is somehow controversial or unnecessary in our communities.
'That's wrong. Social progress doesn't require permission from tradition. The fact that a Pride event wasn't proposed during someone's time in office doesn't mean it shouldn't happen now.
'Towns change, people grow, and representation becomes more vital - not less - in areas that have historically lacked it.
'Pride is not a threat to Prestatyn's identity; it's a reflection of the diversity already here.
'You don't need to live in Liverpool or Manchester to have the right to be seen, celebrated, and safe. That's not politics - that's basic human dignity.
'We should be asking how we can better support all members of our community, not questioning the legitimacy of events that aim to do exactly that.
'Silence may be comfortable for some, but visibility can save lives for others. And in 2025, we should all be brave enough to stand on the right side of that truth."
Heather Boa at Prestatyn Pride 2025 (Image: Newsquest) In a further post this morning (June 10), Mr Davies thanked those who had shown him support in the wake of his initial comments on Prestatyn Pride.
He added: 'It seems a shame that free speech only seems to flow in one way in this regard sometimes.
'But that's not my problem, it's more societal and out of my control which is not to worry about.'
