Mad Pride Rows With Many Oars!

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

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

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

PARIS, FRANCE: Oncemore, psychiatric survivors led by long-time MindFreedom activist AlainWache laid a wreath of remembrance at the actual Bastille on BastilleDay, 14 July. Two people labeled with psychiatric problems were amongthose 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 theeast lawn of the state capitol building in downtown Albany, New York,in an event organized by Mental Patients Liberation Alliance. For thefirst time, this twenty-sixth annual demonstration focused on theconcerns of young people. Activities included a vigil, memorials, roundtable discussions, teach-ins, and guest speakers. Organizers said theevent involved “vital issues concerning young people: mental healthscreenings, stigma, discrimination, prejudice, culture,pharmaceuticals, aversive therapies, shock treatments, restraints andseclusion.”

TORONTO, CANADA: The city of Torontoproclaimed July 14 Psychiatric Survivor Pride Day. A Mad Pride weekendin September includes an awards ceremony and reception and apresentation on “Community Treatment Orders,” which is forced druggingon an outpatient basis. There will also be several theater eventsincluding a new play, “The Places We Share” with Friendly SpikeTheater, a MindFreedom sponsor group, and a walking tour of the historyof psychiatric abuse in Toronto.

OREGON, USA: Forthe seventh year Mad Pride was an event within the enormous OregonCountry 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.