Plaid Cymru criticised online for spoof 'coming out' political party broadcast

Advert compared coming out to decision to vote for a different party

A Welsh political party broadcast has come under fire for depicting a young man’s experience of coming out as an allegory for voting.

Plaid Cymru, a Welsh political party that advocates for an independent Wales and currently holds three seats in the UK parliament, released the advert last week.

In the first of three scenes, a young man enters a kitchen. “Mum, Dad, there’s something I need to tell you,” he tells his parents. “I’m voting Plaid. I’ve known for years that other parties don’t turn me on.

“I’ve pretended to be Labour to try and fit in but this time I’ve got to be honest and vote for the candidate that will stand up to me.”

He adds: “I’m happy, proud, proud that I am voting for a party that puts Wales first.”

There has been some criticism of the advert online.

Twitter user Benjamin Rock wrote: “Did I really just witness that? The plaid party political broadcast was shocking”.

Mr Rock later expanded on his remarks, explaining that he resented the political party drawing a comparison between the “decision” to choose a different political party and coming out to your friends and family.

“For LGBT people it’s not a decision, it’s something you are, and unlike people’s political views, nothing can change that,” he wrote on Pink News.

The man's parents (Plaid Cymru)

Twitter user Scott Treeby claimed: “Just seen the @Plaid_Cymru broadcast and think it's taking a mockery of 'coming out' don't think it was a good idea!”

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson told The Independent that they have had “an overwhelmingly positive response” to the advertisement.

The spokesperson added that they party “has always been on the side of progressive forces, and we have an impeccable record on equality issues.”