I'm an Animal Rights Activist

I like the name, "Vegan", I really do, and often in the past I have usually identified myself in the animal movement as a vegan, but the term is vague when it comes down to defining what this social justice movement is all about. Some people still look at me with a blank look on their face when I say I'm vegan. Therefore, from now on, I will rarely call myself vegan but instead, identify myself in a more straightforward way by saying I'm an...

Animal Rights Activist

It's a no-nonsense, well defined label. Plus, that name alone will cause people to think about how they treat animals. For instance, let's say I'm having brunch with someone for the first time. They order a meat sandwich and I order the only vegan sandwich on the menu. The person I'm having brunch with says to me, "Why didn't you order a meat sandwich? It's a bit too heavy to have so early in the morning?" I answer by saying, "No. I don't eat meat because I'm an animal rights activist."

So now they could think, 'Hmmm. I love animals too. Defending animals sounds like the right thing to do. But by eating meat that means I'm not being an activist for animals?'

See what I mean? If I had said, 'No. I do't eat meat because I'm a vegan,' they probably would not equate veganism with animal rights activism which both do mean the same thing, regardless of what some people believe. Veganism and animal rights activism may mean the same but the word vegan has become so bastardized and watered down to the point of tasting like water that most people when they hear the term vegan they think it as some sort of insignificant cult or club.

About a month ago, at work someone offered me some milk chocolate. I said to him, "No thanks. I'm a vegan." He said to me, "Oh, OK. Well, if you change your mind, the chocolate will be in the front in the lunchroom area."

Here I am, a staunch animal rights activist of 36 years and he has it in his mind that I will all of a sudden "change my mind" and stop being a vegan after 36 years! I told that to a meat-eating ex-boyfriend and even he was surprised at that co-worker's ignorance. People simply don't take the word vegan seriously.

Had I said to him, "No thanks. I'm an animal rights activist", do you think he would have thought I would immediately change my mind? I don't think so.

When choosing a term to represent yourself, choose wisely, as words speak volumes.

Unitarian Universalist's Animal Ministries

Unitarian Universalists have two animal rights ministries! Not all of the UU churches worldwide have these animal ministries but many do. It is a part of their huge social justice activism which includes human rights as well.

The two animal rights ministries are:

Unitarian Universalist Animal Ministry
www.uuam.org



From their website:

"UUAM is a group of concerned Unitarian Universalists and UU friends who desire to grow and express their faith as compassion towards all beings. We do this not just for nonhumans, but for ourselves and all of life. For as we live a life of awareness based on our interdependence (UU 7th Principle) and the inherent worth and dignity of all beings (UU 1st Principle) we live fully, deeply, and authentically. As we come to love our neighbors as ourselves, we liberate not just others, but ourselves as well.

We serve as a central source of nonhuman animal awareness and education for UUs by relating the religious and spiritual aspects of our tradition to justice and ethical issues.

We provide a community to support one another. Whether we are undertaking personal changes in our everyday choices, or engaging in advocacy for nonhuman animals, we cannot do this work alone. We need one another.

We promote and support justice making efforts for nonhuman animals within congregations and within UU Association as a whole.

The seventh principle of Unitarian Univeraslism calls us to respect the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part. We of UUAM understand that human beings are only a strand in the intricate web of life.

While our Unitarian Universalist principles affirm the "inherent worth and dignity of every person and call us to seek justice and compassion in human relations, we extend these principles to include other species who also possess an intrinsic value.

Recognizing the beauty and interconnectedness of all species that call us to wholeness and toward justice for all beings, we dedicate ourselves to:

Growing our Unitarian Universalist faith in the interdependence of all life that reveals itself in the inherent worth and dignity of all beings.

Informing ourselves about nonhuman suffering

Seeking and promoting ecological justice

Inspiring respect and reverence for the earth all its creatures

Living in harmony with the natural world, which includes a deep respect and commitment to human as well as nonhuman animals"

Ethical Eating
www.uua.org/environment/eating



From their website:

"Ethical eating recognizes the moral dimensions of our food choices. The ways our societies raise, buy, and consume our food has direct effects on the earth, plants and animals, and humans who work to make our food available.

Delegates at the General Assembly in Charlotte, NC, approved Ethical Eating: Food and Environmental Justice as a 2011 Statement of Conscience.

You can download the UUA Ethical Eating Study Guide and Ethical Eating Worship Resource Supplement (PDF, 33 pages)."


Some of the material mention minimalist activism...but the fact that the UU church is doing this as a religious organization for the animals and obviously is aware of the synergistic link in religion and animal rights is wonderful! But I would highly recommend you do further research into animal rights to go beyond the minimal knowledge of animal activism to help animals even more.

Appearances in Activism

This blogpost is for anyone who does public activism, but since this is an animal rights blog, I will talk specifically about animal activists.

When being an activist in public, especially while out on the streets, it's important to have a certain look. Having knowledge about the cause is great of course, but your public activism may fail if you lack the proper appearance.

For example, which group do you think people in general will be more drawn to, will stop on the sidewalk and pay more attention to what they're saying?:

The people in T-shirt and old jeans.

The people (if female) in a casual but nice looking dress and (if male) in a nice shirt and wearing casual pants but not jeans.

How one dresses is important because it makes what you're talking about look more important and you are more likely to be less intimidated if you dress nicer. Also, regardless of whether it's cool or not, having multiple piercings and tattoos on your body is very intimidating to some people--especially older people. As animal activists, want to come across as being extremely approachable, so you need to look as less threatening as possible. It would be best to take out the multiple piercings and hide the tattoos with your clothing. Appear as if you were going on a job interview because, afterall, animal activism IS work.

Activists don't have to wear a suit and tie or wear stunning evening dresses--dressing causally nice is best--but if you were to dress like that and compete for people's attention on the street, you would probably get more people coming toward you than activists wearing T-shirts and faded old blue jeans, even though both groups are speaking on the same cause in the same way.

The exception would be if your group needs to wear costumes and do theatrical scenes to make a point.

Also, to attract more people and to be taken more seriously, try to find older people, like over 30, to participate in your street activism. People in general tend to pooh-pooh groups that are made up of teens-20s as stereotypically just a bunch of "rebellious kids" to ignore. With a healthy mixture of ages, people will more likely stop and pay attention if some of the activists are in their 40-50s or older.

So, next time your group goes out on the street to speak out for the animals, make sure you not only have the knowledge to speak on the cause but the appearance as well to make people stop and listen to what you have to say.

Looking Back, Moving Forward

As I was listening to the podcast ARZone, it brought back memories in my early days of animal activism...This is a very good episode everyone should here. It certainly inspired me!

In this special Looking Back, Moving Forward podcast, ARZone presents the thoughts of 35 long-time advocates and activists from around the world - looking back on 2012 and moving forward into 2013.


Audio Podcast, approx 2 hours 27 minutes.

ARZone Podcast 61: Looking Back, Moving Forward