INTERCONNECTED OPPRESSION
AND VEGANISM
Oppression is a situation in which someone is subjected to an unfair, unjust and/or cruel treatment or exercise of unlawful, wrongful, or corrupt authority preventing them from having opportunities, freedom and/or causing them harm. Some example of this system of oppression are based on race, gender, sex, class and disability.
Veganism is a human led and run movement/philosophy which seeks to exclude, “all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing”, entertainment “or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of” non-human and human animals “and the environment”. Avoiding the use of animal products and eating only foods that are plant-based and do not derivate from animals (*quote partially taken from The Vegan Society).
How the fight against systems of human oppression interconnect with the treatment of non-human animals and veganism?
We can agree by definition, that we are animals so veganism by default should be an inclusive movement for human and non-human animals alike. And we cannot dismiss and/or minimise the oppression of one over the other. When someone is the target of oppression we should be mindful and compassionate and not dismissive.
In order to create change we need to better our activism. It doesn’t take anything away from our activism to stand up against human oppression, one thing doesn’t take from the other, in fact, they are interconnected and fighting against all oppression, makes our communities better. You cannot ask someone to have empathy towards a non-human animal while dismissing and/or being part of the systems of oppression inflicted on human beings.
For example, as a feminist and a womanist ally, back in 2017 when I created my artwork “Feminism is Living Dairy-Free” I had a huge push back, especially and surprisingly, from the vegan community. Mostly from fellow cis white women. They erased the slogan from my work or/and added their own vegan non-female related messages to it, calling me names and blocking me from all their socials, reporting my work and trying to take my accounts down. All because I spoke about the interconnection of female bodies and their reproductive systems regardless of being human or non-human, their oppression is based on sex, since their bodies are exploited because, and not in spite, of them being female. I was specifically talking about the dairy industry, were mothers are being artificially inseminated to produce milk for their calves, their babies get stolen from them at birth and will either be part of the same chain of milk production or go straight to the meat industry, for their bodies.
For example, as a feminist and a womanist ally, back in 2017 when I created my artwork “Feminism is Living Dairy-Free” I had a huge push back, especially and surprisingly, from the vegan community. Mostly from cis women, mostly white women like myself. They erased the slogan from my work or/and added their own vegan non-female related messages to it, calling me names and blocking me from all their socials, reporting my work and trying to take my accounts down. All because I spoke about the interconnection of female bodies and their reproductive systems regardless of being human or non-human, their oppression is based on sex, since their bodies are exploited because, and not in spite, of them being female. I was specifically talking about the dairy industry, were mothers are being artificially inseminated to produce milk for their calves, their babies get stolen from them at birth and will either be part of the same chain of milk production or go straight to the meat industry, for their bodies.
For example, as a feminist and a womanist ally, back in 2017 when I created my artwork “Feminism is Living Dairy-Free” I had a huge push back, especially and surprisingly, from the vegan community. Mostly from fellow cis white women, specifically liberal white women. They erased the slogan from my work or/and added their own vegan non-female related messages to it, asking to take the art down, reporting my work etc.. All because I spoke about the interconnection of female bodies and our reproductive systems regardless of being human or non-human, their oppression is based on sex, since their bodies are exploited because, and not in spite, of them being female. I was specifically talking about the dairy industry, were mothers are being artificially inseminated to produce milk for their calves, their babies get stolen from them at birth and will either be part of the same chain of milk production or go straight to the meat industry, for their bodies.
During the Black Lives Matter protests on 2020, some people and activists, carried the heads of dead pigs to protest against police brutality, race inequality and the oppression of Black lives and people of the global majority. So some vegans so appropriate to call them hypocritical because they were fighting against oppression while using a dead animal as a prop and violating their rights. But in, for example, one of the biggest vegan worldwide protest (that like many others around the world I have been a part of) The National Animal Rights Day protests, we stand and either carry a banner or hold a dead animal while taking a minute of silence. Of course, I am not justifying the use of dead animals as props on any case, and we must do better. We need to be consistent and mindful in our activism.
We can’t be the oppressor and ask for the oppression of others to stop.
During the Black Lives Matter protests on 2020, some people and activists, carried the heads of dead pigs to protest against police brutality, race inequality and the oppression of Black lives and people of the global majority. So some vegans so appropriate to call them hypocritical because they were fighting against oppression while using a dead animal as a prop and violating their rights. But in, for example, one of the biggest vegan worldwide protest (that like many others around the world I have been a part of) The National Animal Rights Day protests, we stand and either carry a banner or hold a dead animal while taking a minute of silence. Of course, I am not justifying the use of dead animals as props on any case, and we must do better. We need to be consistent and mindful in our activism.
We can’t be the oppressor and ask for the oppression of others to stop.
Another example of interconnection of oppression is ableism. We understand how we as human animals have genetically modified animals to be disabled, and we as vegans, have compassion and empathy for them, but not for our fellow human animals that suffer from a chronic illness, cancer, genetic, neurological and mental illnesses and have limited body autonomy etc… Like boiler chickens and turkeys, that are genetically modified to be disabled, bred and raised specifically for human consumption, fattened to weight 2 kilos in less than 6 weeks to the point of not being able to stand on their own legs because they are not strong enough, growing so fast that it puts a strain on their heart and lungs, standing in filth and dark. We can see ableism inflicted on non human animals, but then create vegan spaces with no inclusivity and disability awareness.
Another example of interconnection of oppression is ableism. We understand how we as human animals have genetically modified animals to be disabled, and we as vegans, have compassion and empathy for them, but not for our fellow human animals that suffer from a chronic illness, cancer, genetic, neurological and mental illnesses and have limited body autonomy etc… Like boiler chickens and turkeys, that are genetically modified to be disabled, bred and raised specifically for human consumption, fattened to weight 2 kilos in less than 6 weeks to the point of not being able to stand on their own legs because they are not strong enough, growing so fast that it puts a strain on their heart and lungs, standing in filth and dark. We can see ableism inflicted on non human animals, but then create vegan spaces with no inclusivity and disability awareness.
Most of us live in a capitalist system that doesn’t discriminate and it seems that we can’t get away from it. Even the plants we eat are grown with pesticides tested on animals and animal-based fertilisers. This system of environmental oppression, were the farm workers that pick our fruit and veg are exposed to deadly and illness-occurring pesticides while at the same time harm the environment. As well as factory farming waste, like body fluids and cancer-causing chemicals that are dumped on lower income areas that affect mainly Black and people of the global majority. The slaughterhouse worker force consist mostly of immigrants, migrants, people at risk and even children have been found to be hired by this corporations in 2023, suffering from physical and psychological harm like PTSD, cancers, amputations, head trauma etc and the waste is being through in the water and the air. Water being contaminated with petroleum leaks, chemicals and gas. Forests being destroyed for livestock and livestock feed, affecting indigenous and aboriginal peoples and their ancestral lands. Oppression is interconnected.
Denying the obvious and thinking that oppression is not interconnected, is cognitive dissonance* and is what governments and corporations push for in the capitalist, classist and white supremacists systems we live in, making us believe we are just one person fighting against another, is the perfect way to keep us busy and not lobbying for change in our communities, support our fellow humans and helping non-human animals. Ways to support our communities and at the same time helping non-human animals would be supporting organisations that help diversify farm land and push for non invasive forms of plant farming, making whole-foods available in food desert areas by pushing for community and urban gardens, helping pollinators and wildlife, reducing (and hopefully one day eliminating) non-human animal and human suffering and making plant foods available to everyone.
The fight against oppression and achieving liberation is to understand that oppression is interconnected and the only way and create a more compassionate world for human, non humans animals and the planet is to fight together.
*Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort a person feels when their behaviour does not align with their values or beliefs, it's not an illness or disease it’s a psychological phenomenon that can happen to anyone.