Mad Pride Tullamore 2011

Mad Pride Takes over Lloyd Park in Tullamore for another amazing Family Fun Day Out, which aims to celebrate the positive side of madness and make a positive impact against the negative stigma associated with mental health.

This is so much more about human rights than stigma; people who live with the normality of madness are second class citizens because of the present legal system in Ireland. The mad community can be locked up without trial forced treated and forced medicated. No branch of medicine should demand the protection of mental health acts in order to force treat its patients. The common law is to protect both doctor and patient, we the mad community demand the protection of the common law just like any other citizen, none of this is rocket science.

This is about law not policy.

We hear so much about introducing policy re stigma, about adjusting the law but allowing abuse continue.

We the mad community demand equality, simple!

As women, gay and black communities had to fight for that right so will we!

Hence, Mad Pride Ireland Family Fun Days. No protests, no leaflets, no information stands, simply fun for all the family.

We will engage with difference as a normality, celebrate that difference in a space that gives dignity to difference, by not addressing it at all, simply allowing it to be (just that different). A space which allows us all to embrace each other in peace with love through laughter. We give you music, poetry, art, beauty yet we are stigmatized unto death. We need society to wake up to its responsibility towards us by taking pride in our responsibility towards ourselves, Mad Pride Ireland aims through family fun days to create that space. Statistically we are the most peaceful members of society yet we are the most feared, we must change that perception. We can do that through laughter, fun, through Mad Pride.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• mad pride
• tullamore
• 2011
• offaly
• john mccarthy
• lyre dyce
• dog blues
• family
• fun
• ireland
• irish
• mental health
• goldfish
• egomotion
• clown
• face paint
• juggling
• rte
• nationwide

[spiralcosmosart]

"John McCarthy - Irish Poet, Mad Pride Leader, Psychiatric Survivor - REST IN PEACE

Mary Maddock of the MindFreedom International board of directors just contacted us with the sad news: After a long motor neuron illness, mad pride leader, poet and psychiatric survivor John McCarthy of Cork, Ireland died this morning at 61. Whether you knew him personally or not, John is a hero for our "mad movement." Below are some Mad Pride memories of John. "

[corkchris]

Looks great!