“Weird Pride Flag” by Ferrous and Autistamatic

Let’s be proud of what we are.

Let’s join together.

Finding our community, our mob you might say,
This is our family, where we can work and play.
Here among these people, as aliens we bring,
This is where my heart can rest, and my soul can sing.

Yes I am autistic, ADHD too,
Yes I am dyspraxic, and I just may do.
But even if you're not like me,
Even if we don't agree,
We can be friends in this place,
It's called acceptance of our race.

Acceptance of our culture,
The way we operate,
The way our passions give us joy,
The way we love and create.

It might be different from others,
It might not be for you,
But this is where we thrive and give,
Where in relationship we live.

Come Join Me!

Let’s celebrate weird pride.

Weird Pride is the refusal to be ashamed of things people find ‘weird’.

It means taking some pride in the things that make you different from most people: accepting that being seen as weird might be the price for being unapologetically you.

In a society that demands conformity in all sorts of ways, where expressing yourself and caring passionately about things is often viewed as bizarre, owning your weirdness is an act of defiance and a claiming of the right to joy.

Every day should be a Weird Pride Day, but for until that’s possible for everyone, at least we have the 4th of March.

What is Weird Pride? – Weird Pride Day

This is a day for people to embrace their weirdness, and reject the stigma associated with being weird. To publicly express pride in the things that make us weird, and to celebrate the diversity of humankind.

On this day you are invited to write and talk, make art and videos about what people think is weird about you – and why (and how) you accept these things about yourself.

Welcome to Weird Pride Day! – Weird Pride Day

The first ever Weird Pride Day was on the 4th of March, 2021, and the second was on the 4th of March, 2022. At the risk of being predictable, the third will be on Saturday the 4th of March, 2023.

This is a day for people to embrace their weirdness, and reject the stigma associated with being weird. To publicly express pride in the things that make us weird, and to celebrate the diversity of humankind.

Weird Pride Day. Weird Pride Day is every 4th of March. | by Ferrous, aka Oolong | Medium

There is a lot of stigma attached to the concept of weirdness, and a lot of effort is spent chasing some idea of ‘normal’. This is harmful for everyone who’s perceived as weird, and that often includes immigrants, disabled people, queer and trans people and those with minority religious and ethical beliefs. It also includes just about everyone who’s neurodivergent, be they autistic, dyspraxic, dyslexic, ADHD, or otherwise different of brain. Weirdmisia — hatred of the weird — is the enemy of diversity.

I see Weird Pride as a necessary counter to the prevailing negativity about weirdness, so I’m inviting all weirdos and even non-weirdos* to write, talk, tweet and make art about how they’re weird, and why that’s okay.

Weird Pride Day. Weird Pride Day is every 4th of March. | by Ferrous, aka Oolong | Medium

Let’s embrace our weird potentials and neuroqueer the social world.

The forces of neuronormativity feel overwhelming in this age of mass behaviorism and unvarnished eugenics.

…mass neurodivergent disablement and constant, widespread anxiety, panic, depression, and mental illness, combined with systemic discrimination of neurodivergent people, is a problem specific to the current historical era. Hegemonic neuronormative domination, in other words, is a key problem of our time.

Empire of Normality: Neurodiversity and Capitalism by Robert Chapman

Against that tide, we embrace our weird potentials. We neuroqueer the social world.

In line with a disability justice approach, one of the more positive recent developments is the theory and praxis of neuroqueering. Stemming from the work of Nick Walker and Remi Yergeau, neuroqueering focuses on embracing weird potentials within one’s neurocognitive space, and turning everyday comportment and behaviour into forms of resistance. This has provided a new tool for combatting neuronormativity from within the constraints imposed by history and current material conditions. By queering the social world, new possibilities are carved out for the future, helping us not just challenge aspects of the current order but to start collectively imagining what a different world could be like.

Empire of Normality: Neurodiversity and Capitalism by Robert Chapman

We’re here. We’re weird. Get used to it.

And the sign says "long hair freaky people need not apply"
So I put my hair under my hat and I went in to ask him why
He said you look like a fine outstanding young man I think you'll do
So I took off my hat I said "Imagine that Huh Me working for you"

Now, hey you, mister, can't you read?
You've got to have a shirt and tie to get a seat
You can't even watch, no, you can't eat
You ain't supposed to be here

The sign said you got to have a membership card to get inside

Ugh!

So I got me a pen and a paper
And I made up my own little sign
I said, "Thank you, Lord, for thinkin' 'bout me
I'm alive and doin' fine"

Wooo!

What makes us different, makes all the difference in the world.

Our friends and allies at Randimals have a saying,

We agree. Difference is a teacher, and we weirdos learn from and with each other.

“What makes us different, makes all the difference in the world.”

We call ourselves Warriors and Weirdos.

We weirdos are warriors, for inclusion and acceptance.

Let love conquer your mind
Warrior, warrior
Just reach out for the light
Warrior, warrior
I am a warrior-ior-ior-ior-ior
Warrior, warrior
I am a warrior-ior-ior-ior-ior
Warrior, warrior of love

Underneath darkened skies
There's a light kept alive

Let love conquer your mind
Warrior, warrior
Just reach out for the light
Warrior, warrior
I am a warrior-ior-ior-ior-ior
Warrior, warrior
I am a warrior-ior-ior-ior-ior
Warrior, warrior of love
Warrior of love
Warrior of love

Warrior by AURORA

“We call ourselves Warriors and Weirdos.“

AURORA

Nobody’s a nobody and everybody is weird like you and me!

You're my half brother and my fully-fledged friend!
We're buddies forever from beginning to the end
Nobody's a nobody and everybody is weird like you and me!

Don't have to look beside me to know that you are there!
If two things act as one are they still a pair?
Nobody's a nobody and everybody is weird like you and me!

I'm the sugar you're the lemons we're a weird lemonade
But you're the brothers that I'd never trade
Nobody's a nobody and everybody is weird like you and me!

You're my right hand guy and the shoulder that I cry on
My brain when I'm confused, an arm to lean a while on
Nobody's a nobody and everybody is weird like you and me!

You can walk, run, swim, roll, hop, skip, or fly
If we're going different ways, you're my kind of guy
Difference doesn't matter, if nobody's the same
There is no two clouds alike in the great big sky

So don't be scared to come out your shell too
There's always someone out there to love the real you
Nobody's a nobody
And everybody is weird like you and me

You can walk, run, swim, roll, hop, skip, or fly
If you're going different ways you're my kind of guy
Difference doesn't matter, If nobody's the same
A space for every star in the great big sky

Further Reading