NEURO PRIDE IRELAND By Cír Doyle
That year we learned many lessons, and the main one was to give ourselves longer when planning for the 2022 festival due the burnout we experienced following the 6 weeks of intense work. We were too ambitious with such a short timeframe. Our simple one day Pride idea blossomed into a week long festival. Though it was worth it! The impact we made that first year was overwhelming. It was a joy to see Neurodivergent adults weep with happiness as they experienced being
able to be their authentic self, often for the first time, in a group of strangers. Many had never knowingly met another Neurodivergent person & the sense of community was staggeringly positive. It was heartwarming to see how many people were sharing our videos or tweeting in support of Neuro Pride Day. Even the President of Ireland tweeted about the day! After some well-deserved rest we dove back to establishing NPI as it is today. The regular work of NPI can be split into 4 categories: meetups, community building, education and advocacy
The foundation of Neuro Pride Ireland (NPI) is one of Neurodivergent determination.
On the 19th June 2021 several Autistics met on Zoom to celebrate Autistic Pride by watching a video about volunteer Autistic adult groups in Ireland. We talked about the importance of Pride. Just a casual conversation amongst almost-friends. “I love the idea of Autistic Pride but I’m too tired from all the Queer Pride work I’m doing. Why is Autistic Pride in June anyway?” We complained. Someone began to research and found the answer- It was one of the founders’ birthdays. Quickly we made the decision to make our own Autistic Pride outside of June. But we started wondering how do you separate your Autism from your ADHD for example? Why prioritise one of our Neurodivergencies over another? There was only one solution. Let’s hold Neuro Pride! Within minutes we were excitedly suggesting ideas for events. It would have to be online due to COVID-19. We decided to hold it on the 8th of August because 8 on its side is an infinity symbol, the symbol of Neurodiversity. Over the next hours social media accounts were established, a call out for volunteers was made and a draft logo and graphics were made. Over 6 weeks the 4 co-founders, Cír Doyle, Joana Hermann and Gillian and Nem Kearns worked diligently. Nearly every day there were multiple video calls and numerous text messages in our WhatsApp group. Between organising events, reaching out to speakers, developing a website and everything else that came with the plan, there was so much work to be done. We had help from very generous volunteers but the bulk of the work came down to this handful of people. Retrospectively, I am in awe of what we accomplished. Four Neurodivergent, disabled queers taking on this huge project on a tight schedule despite everything else going on in the world and our lives. Despite many obstacles, our inaugural festival contained 18 events, a beautiful website, a flourishing online community, approximately 70 videos, and contacts established throughout Ireland.
Even if you haven’t read anything new, you’re still welcome to join us and talk about books from your childhood, or to simply listen to
NPI hosts approximately 3 monthly Zoom events. NPI events are open to Neurodivergent adults and those questioning if they are Neurodivergent. We acknowledge self- identification and never gatekeep on the basis of diagnosis. We hold events for children, for neurotypical allies and we’ve supported some community members in
all the recommendations. If you’re curious about book recommendations, we have a list linked on our website and you can also find a list of neuro-affirmative, NeuroPride endorsed books which has been used by amazing libraries across the country. Our monthly Games Night is filled with laughter and friendly rivalry. Over Zoom, we play games such as Scattergories and Jackbox. There is normally a mix of game styles from trivia, drawing, improv and everything in between. If you don’t want to game you’re free to sit in and join in the chat. Our third monthly event is a Zoom Craft Session where we all work on our individual crafts and have chats. All our Zoom events have a captioned option. You are never obliged to have your camera or mic on. You can engage as much or as little as you like, as well as come and go as you please. If you are a Neurodivergent or questioning adult interested in joining one of our events, please join our Facebook group or Discord server, or email us at NeuroPrideIreland@gmail.com. Our community building mostly happens via our Discord server and Facebook group. We all know the importance of community in the lives of marginalised groups, and we are happy to be able to facilitate like- minded individuals coming together. We have engaged with other organisations to boost the Neurodivergent community in wider society, such as helping several LGBTQAI+ Prides engage with their Neurodivergent community members. Within NPI we have some specific interest groups, such as our LGBTQAI+ group and student group.
Like our events, our groups are open to Neurodivergent adults and those questioning if they are Neurodivergent, regardless of if this is a self-identification or medical diagnosis.
The bulk of our education outreach occurs via our YouTube channel with over 100 videos, about a huge variety of topics such as explaining neuro- terms and sharing experiences. We have also given talks to colleges and organisations. Our website hosts a blog where Neurodivergent writers can spread their knowledge. Advocacy is ongoing, tiring, but worthwhile work for us in NPI. Over the past 2 years we have been involved in several campaigns alone or with other Disabled Persons’ Organisations (DPOs). We have attended protests and supported issues affecting Ireland, such as Ireland4All, and have presented to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Autism. We firmly believe in the civil rights call to arms, “Nothing About Us, Without Us”. This was a snapshot of Neuro Pride Ireland but we are constantly evolving and trying to do our best by the Irish Neurodivergent community. You can show your support by using the hashtag #NeuroPride23 and we hope to see you at our festival from 3rd-8th of August 2023!
setting up local meetups of their own around the country. Our Book Show & Tell (formerly known
as book club) has a non-traditional format of not assigning a book to members but giving participants an opportunity to speak about any reading material they want. We use the term book loosely; it is anything people have been reading, whether that is fictional stories, autobiographies, reports, graphic novels, fanfiction, poetry, whatever. This format is particularly helpful to our demand avoidant members who may struggle with the traditional format of being prescribed a book to read in a set timeframe. Our method not only allows for personal freedom but it is more considerate of cost as you don’t have to buy anything new (though, for many, our to- read list keeps growing as a result of the recommendations!). We believe it is a more inclusive model as members read what they want, at a level they like. A variety of books have been shown that range from children books all the way to scientific texts. There is no shame about what you enjoy or how you enjoy it.
All links mentioned in this can be found at https://beacons.ai/neuroprideireland/
www.corkpride.com
#CorkPride2023
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