Weird Pride Day is born of the desire to stand unashamed in the face of a world that seeks to minimise us. It should come as no surprise then that I, an Autistic, ADHD, and Schizophrenic man, find this appealing. Society has sought to contain people such as myself through medicalisation, institutionalisation, and erasure, for a long time. Whether it be containment in the socio-political sense, or in the very real sense, the world has done it’s best to alienate the weird. Today, then, is a day where we escape the shackles of such a world.
What is Weird Pride?
Like most contemporary forms of pride, weird pride is not born of a desire to be special, or more valuable than others. It is a refusal to be ashamed. It is the words we use to embrace our own experience and give ourselves permission to take up space. Put another way, weird pride is our attempt at a right to exist. The world has historically seen us as unpredictable, caging us like an animal that could tear through the masses if given the opportunity. We are dangerous, but not to the average person. We are a risk to the status quo. However, to admit this truth, the arbiters of normality would first have to admit that the world is designed to exclude many of us.
What does this day mean for us?
March 4th, Weird Pride Day, is the day when we fly our freak flags high. If Halloween is the day when the veil between the physical and spiritual world is thinnest; Weird Pride day is the day when the boundaries between perceived mundanity and a colourful truth become a bit blurrier. This is the day when we dismantle the normativity of a world that desires uniformity and assimilation rather than the rainbow of difference that exists. March 4th is a day to fly your freak flag high and without shame.
Where does Weird Pride get us?
Every time we embrace our own weirdness, we chip away at the bonds of normativity. Every March 4th brings us one day closer to a world where we no longer have to contain ourselves for fear of retribution. Weird Pride is one key to the many locks that hold us inside the stone chamber of the status quo. It’s a day when we can do justice to the many weird people who have lost their lives to normativity. It’s a day when we push back against normative violence.
How can you get involved in the Weird Pride movement?
You can start by visiting the Weird Pride Day website. You can also post on social media using the #WeirdPride abd #WeirdPrideDay tags. Do what feels natural to you. Be you, unashamedly. You can also support your fellow weirdo’s by amplifying their words and expressions on your platforms. Share and rejoice in the beauty of weirdness.
In case you haven’t seen it, here is a previous article I wrote on Weird Pride Day.
