Mad Pride Rows With Many Oars!

Here are just a sample of last year's Mad Pride 2006 events:

ACCRA, GHANA, AFRICA: MindFreedom Ghana held a cultural event and symposium at Accra Psychiatric Hospital. There was also a street march (pictured above in a photo by Emi Kane) and more. Dan Taylor (photo on right), who is the secretary of MindFreedom Ghana announced, “Our Theme for our Mad Pride event is ‘Free Minds At Ease.’ Our friends and relations have long been stigmatized for living with or surviving psychosocial disabilities, and so we at MindFreedom Ghana will do what it takes to reverse this. Let all MindFreedom groups all over the world join in to accentuate our cause in diverse forms!” You may email congratulations to mindfreedomghana@yahoo.co.uk.

VANCOUVER, CANADA: World Mad Pride Human Rights and Psychiatry Arts Festival included: an art show, a presentation on ecopsychology called “Parks vs. Prozac,”  films, receptions, presentations, an arts workshop, and a Mad Pride cabaret with live music, comedy, and readings.

PARIS, FRANCE: Once more, psychiatric survivors led by long-time MindFreedom activist Alain Wache laid a wreath of remembrance at the actual Bastille on Bastille Day, 14 July. Two people labeled with psychiatric problems were among those freed in the original storming of the Bastille.

ALBANY, NEW YORK, USA: A group of people who have been labeled mentally ill camped out on the east lawn of the state capitol building in downtown Albany, New York, in an event organized by Mental Patients Liberation Alliance. For the first time, this twenty-sixth annual demonstration focused on the concerns of young people. Activities included a vigil, memorials, round table discussions, teach-ins, and guest speakers. Organizers said the event involved “vital issues concerning young people: mental health screenings, stigma, discrimination, prejudice, culture, pharmaceuticals, aversive therapies, shock treatments, restraints and seclusion.”

TORONTO, CANADA: The city of Toronto proclaimed July 14 Psychiatric Survivor Pride Day. A Mad Pride weekend in September includes an awards ceremony and reception and a presentation on “Community Treatment Orders,” which is forced drugging on an outpatient basis. There will also be several theater events including a new play, “The Places We Share” with Friendly Spike Theater, a MindFreedom sponsor group, and a walking tour of the history of psychiatric abuse in Toronto.

OREGON, USA: For the seventh year Mad Pride was an event within the enormous Oregon Country Fair. This year MindFreedom director David Oaks was part of the "spoken word" program, and afterwards the Mad Pride Clown Troupe gave 'normality screenings' in the Chela Mela meadow.