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How To Be An Intersectional Vegan
Intersectionality has become a hot-button topic amongst vegan activists and advocacy groups in the past year. But what is it, and why should vegans be working to make room for intersectionality in their own personal advocacy?
Intersectionality has become a hot-button topic amongst vegan activists and advocacy groups in the past year. But what is it, and why should vegans be working to make room for intersectionality in their own personal advocacy?
What is intersectionality?
Simply put, intersectionality is an understanding of the interconnected nature of all forms of oppression; from racism, sexism, classism, ableism, speciesism, and beyond.
These categorical hierarchies are not disparate forms of oppression, but are in fact mutually dependent and intersecting in nature - composing a unified system of oppression throughout society.
For example, someone who is both a woman and queer will experience oppression due to her sex and her sexuality, not entirely separately as if each trait existed in a vacuum, but in an interconnected, compounded way. In other words, the oppression she feels is greater than the sum of its parts.
The value of intersectionality comes not only from understanding this compounded effect of oppression and privilege within society but also from its tendency to reveal the common roots of all oppression, bringing members of various social groups together.
Intersectionality is a term that was coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw in her 1989 essay "Demarginalizing the Intersection of Race and Sex: A Black Feminist Critique of Antidiscrimination Doctrine, Feminist Theory and Antiracist Politics." Learn more about Crenshaw and the history of intersectionality here.
Why do we as vegans need to embrace intersectionality?
Because we are stronger together. And no individual should be oppressed, regardless of their gender, sexuality, race, nationality, class, abilities, religion, or species.
Think of the change we could create in our world if every social justice group came together. If rather than individual groups fighting for recognition, we were able to come together and fight for justice for all.
If feminists fought not only for the rights of women, but also for the rights of people of colour. Not just people of colour who are also women, but ALL people of colour.
If LGBTQ+ activists fought for animal rights in addition to the rights of the members of the LGBTQ+ community.
If vegans fought for the rights of marginalized people from every walk of life in addition to fighting for the rights of non-human individuals.
We would add MILLIONS of voices to each of these vital causes. We would create safe, welcoming spaces for countless people to become more open to our message.
This is how real change will come about. Not from constant reductionism of the issues, but from an understanding that oppression is wrong, no matter who is being oppressed. That oppression must end, and we must unite to make this dream a reality.
Not only is it necessary, but it's simply the right thing to do.
How can we go about doing it?
Now that we understand why intersectionality is so important, how can we go about bringing it into our activism?
There is a strong impression from outside the vegan community that vegans don't care about people. As a vegan myself, I can tell you that this idea is utterly false. But I can understand how people may get this impression when select vegans and vegan organizations use, for example, the sexualization of women's bodies to push vegan activism into the media.
Veganism isn't just about the animals. It is about compassion for ALL. And that includes humans.
ONE Open Your Eyes.
The very first thing you need to do to include intersectionality in your activism is to open your eyes to the oppression that is all around us. Educate yourself on various social justice movements; watch documentaries and interviews, read articles and essays. You must be aware of oppression before you can fight it.
TWO Listen.
Once your eyes are open, it's time to open your ears.
I am white. While I do my best to advocate for people of colour, I am not part of that particular group. I don't have personal experience with oppression due to my race. This is why listening is so very important. I listen when friends and acquaintances of colour talk about their experiences. I let them share their story and empathize. I allow them to shape my understanding of their situation.
Learn about larger social justice movements, but also learn about individuals from individuals. Let them shape the narrative by being a supportive listener. Those within any given group should have the first opportunity to speak out, so let them.
THREE Give Your Voice.
Once you've opened your eyes and your ears to learn about larger movements and the individual experiences of oppressed people, it's time to speak up. Lend your voice to their movement.
It is important to amplify their voices, not talk over them. This is dependant on the situation, and only you can determine when it feels right to speak up. The rule of thumb I tend to rely on is that if no members of a given group are present, I should speak up against harmful language or behaviour that perpetuates oppression against that group. If one or several members of that group are present, I allow them to speak up for themselves.
Now, sometimes you will make a mistake. And that's ok. We'll talk about what to do in that situation a little later.
FOUR Give Support Without Expectation.
Support other social justice groups not only with you voice, but with your time. It is important, however, not to hijack the spotlight for another cause. This is the reason that I dislike some of the ways that vegans advocate at annual Pride festivals. Many use the opportunity to speak out against the oppression of animals, while the best use of their time is to stand in solidarity with the LGBTQ+ community. This is not to say that if someone were to ask you about veganism that you can't engage in conversation, but that your support to the LGBTQ+ community should be given genuinely, because it's the right thing to do, not because you expect to get a platform for the cause you 'truly' care about in return.
Not only does this do more for ending oppression in all its forms, but it makes the vegan movement far more welcoming to the members of the groups we support.
Give freely of your compassion, and great things will happen.
FIVE Look At Your Language.
Be aware of the language you use in your vegan adovacy, and in your day-to-day life.
There has been much controversy over the continued use of the phrase "all lives matter" in the vegan community since Black Lives Matter came onto the scene. Many vegans who continue to use the phrase claim that as they used it prior to this movement, there is no reason for them to stop.
The problem with this logic is that the continued use of this phrase, which has come to be viewed as racist, pushes a whole group of people further away from the vegan movement. It makes people of colour feel unsafe within the vegan community, and despite the fact that they are telling us this, some vegans continue to ignore them. They're not listening, and it's a problem.
Whether it be the use of the terms slavery, rape, or holocaust, it does us a world of good to think before we speak, and listen when we are told that our language is harmful.
SIX Apologize For And Learn From Your Mistakes.
We all make mistakes. We are only human, after all. I make mistakes every single day in my effort to be more pro-intersectionality. I accept that I have made and will continue to make mistakes. And when I realize I have, I apologize, learn, and move on.
This is especially important if it happens within a conversation with a non-vegan. If they point out your use of harmful language, listen. Don't defend your use or argue, just listen. Apologize for your use of language that hurt them, thank them for telling you, and let them know you'll think about it further. That's all you need to do. Extend basic respect to the other person and be willing to accept your mistakes.
I hope today's post has helped you to understand intersectionality and to consider making it a larger part of your everyday activism. Feel free to leave any questions or comment you may have in the comments below!
Until next time,
Want more? Check out these two incredible articles on the topic written by Aris Austin.
Vegan News: TripAdvisor Ban, Milk Purge, & Gary #LastWeekInVegan
I'm so excited to launch a new segment on my YouTube channel: Last Week in Vegan! This segment will allow me to cover some of the big vegan news from the past week in a short, easily digestible video.
I'm so excited to launch a new segment on my YouTube channel: Last Week in Vegan! This segment will allow me to cover some of the big vegan news from the past week in a short, easily digestible video.
Impossible Burger Makes West Coast Debut
Source: VegNews
The “bleeding” vegan burger (made with coconut oil and potato starch, and appearing “bloody” because of heme) became available at two San Francisco restaurants—La Jardinière and Cockscomb—along with Los Angeles' Crossroads Kitchen last Thursday.
Until then, the Impossible Burger had been exclusively available at the New York restaurant Momofuku Nishi owned by chef David Chang who added it to the menu after he sampled the burger in July and exclaimed, “I tasted the future, and it was vegan.”
I think this is great news! While the idea of a bleeding burger doesn’t particularly appeal to me, I am not the target customer for this product. If the impossible burger and others like it can cause non-vegans/vegetarians to eat less meat, I am all for it!
TripAdvisor bans ticket sales to attractions that allow contact with wild animals
Source: The Guardian
Internet giant TripAdvisor is launching a “no touching of wild animals” policy, whereby it will no longer sell tickets to attractions where travellers come into physical contact with captive, wild or endangered animals. As well as swimming with dolphins, the policy also covers petting tigers and elephant rides.
In addition to a ban on these ticket sales, TripAdvisor is introducing an education portal with information on animal welfare practices and advice and opinion from conservation charities. In future all listings that involve any interaction with wildlife will have a button that clicks through to the portal. The company hopes that users will be encouraged to write more informed reviews after reading this information. The bookings policy and portal will be implemented in early 2017.
They’re not the first to do this (STA Travel & Intrepid), but it’s definitely a step in the right direction. The impact of this change, to go into effect in early 2017, will be far-reaching. Unfortunately SeaWorld will not be affected, as they aren’t yet tackling animal captivity. Hopefully they will realize that zoos and the like, even those that don’t allow human contact with the animals, are incredibly cruel. I’ve written a blog post on the problems with zoos, if you’re interested, as well as a post specifically about Seaworld:
http://plantbasedbride.com/blog/top-ten-problems-with-zoos
http://plantbasedbride.com/blog/seaworld
Dairy Farmers Purge 43 Million Gallons of Milk
Source: VegNews
USDA released data that indicated dairy farmers across the country dumped more than 43 million gallons of excess milk into manure lagoons, fields, and animal feed in the first eight months of 2016. This is the largest overproduction of milk recorded in the last 16 years. Wall Street Journal reports that milk producers are scrambling to find ways to sell the oversupply through dairy checkoff programs such as Dairy Management Inc. which spent $30 million last year to push excess dairy products onto consumers. Strategies include lobbying to get more milk on school lunch menus—despite increasing demands at schools for plant-based alternatives—and partnering with fast food chains such as McDonald’s, Domino's Pizza, and Taco Bell to create dairy-laden food items that effectively use up the excess—one example being the cheese-laden “Quesalupa” developed by Taco Bell in February. Similarly, the overproduction of cheese prompted the USDA to issue a $20 million bailout to dairy farmers in August and a $7 billion bailout to animal feed producers this month. Meat producers are on a similar track to overproduction, with the nation’s pig and hog herd currently estimated at 70 million individuals, which greatly outpaces the current demand for pork products.
This news is both horrifying and exciting. The good news? Demand for dairy is going WAY down. The bad news? The US government is doing its best to prevent dairy farmers from feeling the loss, which would lead to lower production and less animal cruelty.
Vegan cheese is now called Gary, here’s why
Source: SBS Australia
So apparently this woman was so mad about vegan cheese being labelled as cheese that she’s started a revolution of vegans calling cheese ‘Gary’.
'Gary' has prompted so much chatter on social media over the past few days that it now has its own Facebook page and sparked no shortage of memes. Sainsbury’s have even taken up the term and are promoting their brand of 'Gary' online.
Yup. This is a thing. You’re welcome.
The Future Is Vegan And Tyson Foods Knows It
Source: Peta
Tyson Foods invested an undisclosed amount for 5% stake in Beyond Meat.
Beyond Meat's plant-based Beyond Burger contains 20 grams of protein, is free of hormones and cholesterol, and 'bleeds' when you cook it.
PETA President Ingrid Newkirk stated: "We at PETA are beyond delighted (pun intended!) that Tyson has decided that 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em."
It’s no surprise that Tyson has invested in Beyond Meat, given the popularity of vegan foods. One market analysis claims that the plant-based meat market will be worth $5.17 billion by 2020. Another study found that new products with plant-based proteins grew by nearly 15 percent in 2014, while new products containing animal protein grew by only 7.5 percent.
What are your thoughts on these stories? Is there anything interesting that I missed? Let me know in the comments below!
Until next time,
Can Vegans Get Sick?
Someone, somewhere, decided to spread the idea that vegans can't get sick. But is it true?
This Is What A Vegan Wedding Looks Like
It's been one month and one day since we said 'I do'! Here's a sneak peek into our special day...
It's been one month and one day since we said 'I do'! Here's a sneak peek into our special day...
Before we get into it I want to take a moment to thank our incredible photographers, Mark Shannon and Melanie Geroche from Karmel Kreative!
You spend so much of your wedding day with your photographers, and rely on them to capture all of the beautiful moments you never want to forget. Not only is the quality of Mark and Melanie's photography incredible, but they are just so fun to be around! I couldn't imagine having had anyone else document our special day. If you live in the Toronto area I wholeheartedly recommend them to you for engagement or wedding photography!
Check Karmel Kreative out on their website, on facebook, and on twitter!
Without further ado, here is an sneak peek into our vegan and eco-friendly wedding, as shot by Karmel Kreative...
My soon-to be husband gets ready with his best man, Kevin.
My man has the best smile, doesn't he?
Here's my (now) husband Jason, all ready to go for the ceremony wearing a custom vegan bow-tie!
Here I am, all dolled up and ready to go in my Hayley Paige wedding gown, which is 100% vegan!
Click here to learn why silk isn't vegan and why you should avoid it!
Here's a close up of my vegan and cruelty-free makeup look, which I did myself.
I wanted to keep it very natural and pretty, almost like I wasn't wearing makeup at all. Let me know if you're interested in a tutorial for my bridal look using 100% vegan and cruelty-free products!
I also did my own hair - in gentle curls with the top pinned back to keep it out of my face.
Here we are, finally husband and wife!
This forest was the most beautiful setting imaginable for our vegan and eco-friendly wedding!
We had both invisioned a forest as the backdrop to our big day, and couldn't have picked a more gorgeous place. Here we are taking a moment just the two of us after the ceremony...
...and walking hand in hand as husband and wife!
We did a really fun mini photoshoot in our Rolls Royce along with our wedding party! Here's one of just Jason and I (with myself at the wheel, of course!)
I absolutely ADORE this shot! It is such a magical moment, captured forever...
I love how this shot features my 'something old' and 'something borrowed' - my veil! It was my mother's, worn for her wedding in 1975. Not only that, but it was hand made by my grandmother! I simply removed the headband it has initially been attached to and sewed it onto a comb. A super easy DIY which brought life back to a 40 year old piece.
Here we are just hanging out in the forest as husband and wife...
It was so fun frolicking through the forest with Mark and Melanie getting lots of cute shots!
Jason and I are both musicians and knew music would be an important part of our day. What better way to incorporate our love of performing than by being our own wedding band?
My husband was on guitar and I was on bass, with Jason's best man Kevin on second guitar and our friend Joash on drums. Jason was so thoughtful and made sure to order matching bowties for himself, Kevin, and Joash as well as getting me a custom bass strap from the same fabric so we could all go together as a band!
My husband and I shared the vocals, but I love this shot with Jason singing to me as I rock it out on bass.
I'm starting to get a bit dishevelled at this point, but I didn't mind. Anyway, performing in a wedding dress is no easy task!
I hope you enjoyed this look into our special day as much as I did!
I will be sure to share more shots when we get them. (I can't wait to see them!!)
If you are planning your own wedding, check out last week's post chock full of tips for pulling off a vegan and eco-friendly day!
Don't forget to let me know if you have any questions or requests for videos or blog posts on any aspect of our wedding day. I'm happy to oblige!
Until next time,
