King Arthur may have been LGBT+ because he was once thought to have worn women’s clothing, according to a Welsh council’s history material.
Denbighshire council has included the legendary ruler – best known for his quest to find the Holy Grail – in a timeline of LGBT+ history, which tells “stories of sexual orientation and gender identity”.
The king appears to have been featured in LGBT+ discussions due to a Welsh legend that recounts him once wearing women’s clothing.
An entry on the timeline reads: “On a subsequent occasion Arthur dressed himself in woman’s clothes in order to visit a girl at Rhuthun.”
King Arthur may have been LGBT+ because he was once thought to have wore women’s clothing, according to a Welsh council’s history materialGettyAccording to the tale, Rhuthun (Ruthin) in Denbighshire was the place where Arthur executed a rival named Hueil mab Caw.
The story claims that Hueil had witnessed Arthur wearing women’s clothing to sneak into a dance in pursuit of a girl and later mocked him for his injured knee, which led to Hueil’s death.
Stories about King Arthur do not depict him as homosexual, bisexual, or transgender, focusing instead on his marriage to Guinevere, including the well-known account of her affair with Sir Lancelot.
Arthur was first referenced as a successful “dux bellorum”, or warlord.
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The tale of Arthur’s female disguise has been summarised on the “LGBTQ+ timeline for Denbighshire” which was created to make LGBT+ material “accessible to the public”.
It has been shared as an educational resource by the council’s library service.
The timeline was developed following LGBT+ Language and History training commissioned by the Welsh Government for local libraries, museums, and archives.
This training aimed to enhance “awareness and understanding” of the diversity within Wales’ population.
Denbighshire council has included the legendary ruler – best known for his quest to find the Holy Grail – in a timeline of LGBT+ history, which tells “stories of sexual orientation and gender identity”
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The Welsh Government’s Action Plan hopes to address the inequalities faced by LGBT+ individuals and combat discrimination.
It stated that: “Welsh LGBTQ+ history, culture, and heritage in Wales has contributed to our legacy and experiences as a nation and these stories need to be told.”
However, the council’s efforts to promote inclusion have sparked controversy.
“We’ve reached a new level of desperation when a legend about King Arthur dressing in women’s clothes qualifies for entry on a local government’s LGBTQ history timeline,” Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at human rights charity Sex Matters told The Telegraph.
GB News has approached Denbighshire council for comment.