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Go Mad with Pride

By Liza Badaloo

2007_07_13MadPride.jpgFeeling nutty and proud of it? David Miller has proclaimed July 14 as Mad Pride Day in Toronto, which aims to recognize and empower a much marginalized group: those who have experienced oppression at the hands of the psychiatric system (psychiatric survivors and consumers) and those who generally have been stigmatized by their mental health issues. In the same way that the gay community has reclaimed the word “queer,” psychiatric survivors and consumers have empowered themselves by reclaiming the word “mad.” Consider it a celebration of the right to be different. We’ll be joining many other cities across the world in this international day to recognize mad people, such as Melbourne, Vancouver, Brussels, London, Chicago, Buffalo and interestingly, Accra (Ghana).
Appropriately enough, the celebrations take place in two communities which themselves have been maligned by the stigma attached to those with mental health issues: Queen/Ossington, and Parkdale. Although the 1 p.m. talks at the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) by lefties City Councillor Gord Perks, M.P.P.Cheri Di Novo and M.P. Peggy Nash will no doubt be of interest, the “Mad Pride Bed Push” will definitely be the main event. Inspired by similar events which have taken place at previous Mad Pride celebrations in Britain, 1:30 p.m. will find pajama-clad participants wheeling a hospital bed (complete with at least one patient) from CAMH to the Parkdale Activity and Recreation Centre (PARC) to symbolize escaping from oppressive psychiatric institutions to a safe and celebratory space. Accordingly, once the marchers reach PARC there will be food and live entertainment on hand.
Photo by sissyboystud.

Comments

  • guest

    This is beyond ridiculous. Reclaiming the word “Mad”? What the hell is that? What other “pride” days are we going to have in Toronto now?

  • David Topping

    Yeah, I’m totally not sure how I feel about this.

  • guest

    What? That’s crazy.

  • rek

    It’s like AdBusters became real!

  • ChrisD

    Mad pride began as an irreverent and celebratory movement in which to give voice to a group of people that are socially marginalized. Psychiatric survivors are both socially and economically marginalized, facing discrimination that interferes with the right to access basic resources such as housing, health care and employment. Psychiatric survivors are further marginalized by a media that presents us as dangerous, unpredictable incapable and incompetent. Within the psychiatric system users continue to be silenced faced with coercive and disabling treatments with a lack of choice and control concerning basic issues of care.
    Historically little has been recorded concerning the voice and experience of those who have been in contact with the psychiatric treatment. Those interested can refer to the work of York University professor Geoffrey Reaume and his work http://www.atkinson.yorku.ca/cdis/cv_geoffrey_reaume.pdf on Mad people’s history. It is also become more common for psych. survivors to write of their own experience see Pat Capponi’s Upstairs in the Crazy House. For those interested in an accessible critique of Psychiatric theory and practice I would recommend Robert Whitakers Mad in America: Bad science, Bad Medicine and the enduring mistreatment of the mentally ill.
    There is nothing ridiculous or crazy about marginalized people wishing to have their experience and voices acknowledged or validated.

  • guest

    Thanks for the excellent comments, ChrisD!
    I was at Mad Pride Day (Toronto) with my wife and two boys. It was great! I even got my picture taken with Pat C.!!
    Rich