Today is Weird Pride Day, and because I consider myself a “Proud Weirdo,” I am embracing my true self and proclaiming:
“I am proudly and unapologetically weird!”
As a Queer, NeuroDivergent Person, I spent a large percentage of my life trying to fit into narrow societal norms (that I was never going to meet).
Growing up, I was always an outsider. I was constantly told to repress, change, “try harder,” “do better,” or “be normal” – but what does NORMAL even mean?
Why is it so “bad” to be weird or strange?
The concept of “normal” is a myth perpetuated by societal norms and expectations.
“Normalcy” is a fluid and ever-changing social construct created, influenced, and enforced by the power structures of social hierarchies.
It’s only BAD to be weird or strange because the people of the majority (or normies) take offense to other people’s weirdness and decide to persecute, harm, harass, and abuse people they deem “weird” or “strange.” However, what’s considered to be “normal” is often based on the dominant cultural values (supremacy, heteronormativity, cis-normativity, neuro-normativity, ableism, racism, and other forms of oppression).
Society’s narrow definition of what is “normal” and “acceptable” often comes at the expense of or through erasing the experience of individuals who don’t fit in (perpetuating systemic inequalities).
When we recognize that “normal” is a social contract, we can challenge and dismantle these harmful norms, creating a safe space for diverse individuals to flourish and thrive (instead of hiding to survive).
The word “weird” derives from the Old English noun wyrd, essentially meaning “fate.” Embracing my weirdness is my way of taking fate back into my own hands.
By rejecting the notion of “normal,” we can ALL embrace our unique experiences and identities, celebrating the rich vastness of the human experience.
I sit and have always sat at the intersection of Queer Drive and NeuroDivergent Avenue. It is a beautiful little intersection that is under-appreciated and often missed by the “normies” blazing past on their highways that reward and enforce conformity.
Both of my identities (being Queer as well as being NeuroDivergent) have been pathologized and stigmatized, leading the first thirty years of my life to be filled with self-doubt, isolation, ideation, and erasure.
The word “Queer” (which, in the 16th century, Queer meant “strange,” “odd,” “peculiar,” or “eccentric”) was once a slur used to degrade, dehumanize, and oppress people who didn’t conform to societal norms around gender and sexuality. However, as an act of defiant resistance, many (including myself) have chosen to reclaim the word, Queer as a way to take Pride in our identities and the ways we don’t fit into cis-hetero-normative culture).
What if we reclaimed Weird? What if we celebrated our differences and refused to be ashamed of them?
On this weird pride day, I (and many others) am reclaiming the word “Weird,” claiming this term as a badge of honor and a symbol of Pride.
I refuse to apologize for who I am, as I used to do for the first twenty-nine years of my life (when I did not yet know I was NeuroDivergent).
I am unapologetically, proudly, weird, and determined to “Let my freak flag fly” so that all the other amazing weirdos can find me.
Would anyone like to join me in celebrating weirdness (in all its forms), rejecting societal norms, and embracing our authentic selves today for Weird Pride Day 2024?
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I so recognise this, I spent years trying and failing to fit in, and now I embrace that I don’t. My kids think I’m cool but weird and I love that. Luckily I have passed my message on well and neither care about being popular or fitting in, job done 😊. Very interesting as well to know the origins of the word, thank you for that. Great post.