Plural Activism

Getting Involved in Plural Activism

So many plurals, multiples, and singlet supporters constantly ask: how can I get involved in plural activism? How can I help the community and it's push for acceptance? Thus, this carrd was born. Hopefully this gives you a starting place to learn about intersectional frameworks, plural history, and get involved in the current plural activist community.The first thing to note is that the buttons in this carrd are set up in order on purpose - we strongly believe (and have found true for ourselves) that a solid understanding of all four things builds a foundation for good activism. We need intersectional frameworks to understand how oppressive structures enact violence upon “abnormal” bodies/minds. Plural history to know what’s been done to our community, and to learn from our elders & past mistakes. Networks of current activists to form a community, to share ideas & dreams.
Plural activism is built from this foundation. While activists can give pointers on what to do, often building your foundation and learning from past activism is more valuable than a list of suggestions from us - it gives you the tools to make your own lists, build your own ideas, and grow your own activism. Thus, we advise you to look through and click on the links provided in each section before skipping to the last or second to last section.Thank you for showing up and clicking on this carrd! Let's work together towards an accepting society for plural systems ❤️

This page is maintaned by the Rings System and the Alexandrite System. Many thanks goes to the Node System, The Redwoods, the Crisses, Jessie, and The Plural Association for content suggestions.

Image Credit goes to the Crisses.

Solidarity and Intersectional Readings

As plural activists, our work has intersects with three vital frameworks: Disability Justice, Mad Pride, and Neurodiversity. Having an understanding of these movements, key principles, and how systems of oppression act upon disabled and mentally ill bodies (along with anyone else they consider abnormal) gives us the foundation for understanding what we're up against as plurals and the tools to intelligently craft our own spaces. The resources listed below are non-exhaustive, and often span the intersections of disability, mental health, and neurodiversity.

Disability Justice:

Original Disability Justice Working Draft

Principles of Disability Justice

Mia Mingus

Sins Invalid

ProjectLETs - Disability Justice Resources

Sick Woman Theory

Disability Justice Books

-Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice
-Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century
-Crip Theory: Cultural Signs of Queerness and Disability
-The Ugly Laws: Disability in Public (not DJ specifically, but an important piece of history)

Mad Pride

The Ex-Patients’ Movement: Where We’ve Been and Where We’re Going

History of Institutionalization and MH in the US

Vermont Psychiatric Survivors - What is Sanism?

Icarus Project

Toronto Mad Pride

Mad Covid

Asylum Magazine

Hearing Voices Network

Mad Pride Books

-Mad Matters
-Madness, Violence, and Power: A Critical Collection
-Searching for a Rose Garden: Challenging Psychiatry, Fostering Mad Studies
-Madness, Distress and the Politics of Disablement
-Psychiatry Disrupted: Theorizing Resistance and Crafting the (r)evolution
-Anatomy of an Epidemic

Neurodiversity / Other Resources

Neurodiversity - Nick Walker

Lydia Brown's Website - Autistic Hoya

Depathologization & Neurodiversity

The Future (and the Past) of Autism Advocacy

Spoon Theory

Book: All the Weight of Our Dreams: On Living Racialized Autism

If you have to be stingy with your solidarity/history, the first 3 links and/or the first book on each topic are a little more salient than the rest. But all the disability justice material and the mad pride books are very important - giving a solid read through everything is always the best.