Episode 99: Interview with Lee Hall about vegan ethics, the history of the American vegan movement, self-rewilding, and being vegan in a non-vegan world

This week, I am pleased to present my second interview with the author and public speaker Lee Hall, who has been a vegan advocate since 1983. Lee is the author of On Their Own Terms: Animal Liberation for the 21st Century, the creator of the blog Vegan Place, and a writer for CounterPunch. Lee previously taught immigration and animal law at Rutgers University in New Jersey and now holds a Master of Laws in environmental law with a focus on climate change.

In this interview, Lee speaks about the history of the vegan movement in England and the United States. In particular, Lee highlights the significance of the annual Vegan Summerfest to the American vegan movement, as well as the abandonment of integrity by corporate animal advocacy groups such as PETA. We discuss the importance of viewing veganism as an ethic rather than just a diet, why Lee has decided to stop driving a car this year, and what it means to re-wild ourselves. Then Lee outlines how vegan menus are inclusive for everyone, gives advice for vegans who struggle during non-vegan holiday celebrations, and discusses how we can find hope even during difficult times.

This was an excellent discussion!

At the end of the episode, we'll hear the new version of the song "Vegan World" by Katie Veg.

You can listen to the episode above or download the MP3 file from Archive.org. This episode will be broadcast on CKCU 93.1 FM in two parts over the coming weeks, starting on Wednesday 25 October at 4:30 pm Eastern. The entire episode is also now available on CKCU's website.

Additional links:

• Lee Hall's article, "Self-Rewilding: Becoming a Committed Pedestrian"
• "Those Cute Lambs? Here's Who They Are, Without Us" by Lee Hall
  
• "Veganism Defined", written by Leslie Cross in 1951
• "Chapter 3: The Singer Model · Is It Really Animal Liberation?" (audio) by Lee Hall (also includes an image of Peter Singer's 2005 letter to Whole Foods)
• "Chapter 11: From Food to Friends? Troubles With Cuteness and Meme-Sharing" (audio) by Lee Hall

***

You can find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to advocate for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 93: Interview with the philosopher Silvia Caprioglio Panizza about moral impossibility and the vegan paradigm shift

Benjamin and Estelita at Sanctuario Igualdad.
Photo credit: Gabriela Penela/We Animals.

This week, I am pleased to present my interview with the academic philosopher Silvia Caprioglio Panizza, leader of the Vegan Studies Network. Silvia is a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Fellow at the Centre for Ethics, located at the University of Pardubice in the Czech Republic. She is the author of The Ethics of Attention: Engaging the Real with Iris Murdoch and Simone Weil, and a co-editor of three other philosophy books. She is also a vegan feminist who has been bringing philosophical concepts such as moral impossibility into conversation with veganism and animal ethics. In 2021, she co-organized the academic virtual conference, Veganism: A Paradigm Shift.

In this interview, Silvia describes how the concept of moral impossibility can inform our approaches to veganism and animal advocacy, and she tells me about her work on attention and reification as these ideas relate to animal ethics. Then Silvia speaks about the need for a radical paradigm shift with regards to how humans relate to other animals; how studying philosophy can help us as grassroots activists; her thoughts on being a vegan academic working in non-vegan universities; and the connections between veganism and feminism.

Thanks to Silvia for being a guest on the show!

At the end of the episode, we'll hear the song "Barbecue Protest" by the vegan band Scarlet Rescue.

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/60122.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-april-12-2023.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 89: Interview with sociologist Corey Lee Wrenn about vegan feminism, sexism in the animal movement, and the intersections of social justice issues

This week, I am pleased to present my third interview with Corey Lee Wrenn, PhD, Lecturer of Sociology and co-director of the Centre for the Study of Social and Political Movements at the University of Kent. Corey is the author of A Rational Approach to Animal Rights: Extensions in Abolitionist Theory (published in 2016), Piecemeal Protest: Animal Rights in the Age of Nonprofits (published in 2019), and Animals in Irish Society: Interspecies Oppression and Vegan Liberation in Britain’s First Colony (published in 2021). She is the founder of the Vegan Feminist Network and co-founder of the International Association of Vegan Sociologists.

In this interview, Corey speaks about how she started making connections between veganism and feminism in her work, and we discuss why it’s harmful and ineffective to use sexist tactics in animal advocacy campaigns. Corey also gives other examples of how sexism, racism, and ableism show up in the animal movement; she describes the history of the vegan feminist group, Feminists for Animal Rights; and she gives her reading recommendations for those who wish to learn more about vegan feminism and the interconnectedness of speciesism with other forms of oppression in society.

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/59205.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-january-24-2023.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 81: Interview with Camila Perussello about veganism, her new book, and the real reason why "animal welfare" regulations exist

This week, I am pleased to present my interview with the food engineer and researcher Dr. Camila Perussello. Camila is the author of Food For Thought: Planetary Healing Begins on Our Plate, which was published by Lantern Publishing & Media earlier this year. In 2020, she left her job as a food scientist at an Irish university in order to focus her efforts on independent research and vegan activism.

In this interview, Camila tells her story of becoming vegan and outlines what we can expect to find in her book. She explains how “animal welfare” measures are designed to maximize financial gain for animal-exploiting industries. (Veganism, of course, is about animal rights and animal liberation rather than animal welfare.) Camila also describes how being vegan makes a positive difference for nonhuman animals and the environment, and she speaks about how we can work towards the abolition of animal exploitation.

At the end of the show, we'll listen to the song "Barbecue Protest", by the all-vegan punk band Scarlet Rescue.

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/57024.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-july-19-2022.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Artwork by the vegan artist, Jo Frederiks.

Episode 79: Interview with the vegan sociologist Roger Yates about vegan advocacy, the impact of banning fur farms, and the future of the vegan movement

Vegan Information Project in Dublin, Ireland

This week, I am pleased to present my fourth interview with the sociologist and long-time vegan activist Dr. Roger Yates. I previously interviewed Roger on Episodes 19 and 21, Episode 29, and Episode 50 of my show.

In this interview, Roger tells me about the approach that he takes to vegan advocacy, focusing on animal rights instead of animal welfare. He speaks about the implications of the recent fur farm ban in Ireland, gives his review of Earthling Ed’s new book about veganism (This is Vegan Propaganda (And Other Lies the Meat Industry Tells You)), and tells me about his experiences advocating for veganism on TikTok and on the Irish television program Eating with the Enemy. Finally, we discuss where the vegan movement is headed and how it might evolve in the future.

It was a very interesting discussion!

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/56869.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-july-6-2022.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 52: Interview with Dr. Frances McCormack about asking questions to promote veganism, measuring our success as advocates, and holding veganism as a moral baseline

This week’s episode features my recent interview with the abolitionist vegan advocate Dr. Frances McCormack, who has been a vegan since 2010* and promotes the Abolitionist Approach to Animal Rights.

In this interview, Frances tells me about the experiences that led her to become a vegan and find out about the Abolitionist Approach. We also discuss the role of asking questions in vegan advocacy conversations, how we can reflect on our progress as vegan advocates without using false measures of “success”, whether the concept of “carnism” helps or hinders discussions about veganism and animal rights, and why it’s important for vegans to promote veganism as a moral baseline and stay true to our ethical values, despite any social pressure to do otherwise.

Thanks to Frances for being a guest on the show!

* Coincidentally, 2010 is also the year that I became a vegan.

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/51639.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-april-14-2021.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Facebook and Instagram. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 48: Interview with Gary Francione about veganism as a moral baseline, the importance of nonviolence, and what's wrong with keeping "pets"

This week, I am very happy to present my second interview with the animal rights scholar Gary L. Francione, Board of Governors Distinguished Professor of Law and Nicholas deB. Katzenbach Scholar of Law and Philosophy at Rutgers University School of Law in New Jersey. He is also Visting Professor of Philosophy at the University of Lincoln (UK). Professor Francione has been a vegan since 1982 and is well-known for having developed the Abolitionist Approach to Animal Rights. He is the author of many excellent books about animal rights theory, advocacy, and veganism.

In this interview, Professor Francione tells me about what happened in the 1980’s and 1990’s that led him to develop the Abolitionist Approach, and he speaks about how modern-day animal advocacy that does not hold veganism as a moral baseline perpetuates animal exploitation. Then we discuss why nonviolence is an important part of the Abolitionist Approach, why we shouldn’t bring nonhuman animals into existence to be our “pets”, and more. At the end of the interview, Professor Francione offers his advice for those who wish to work to bring about a vegan world.

After the interview, we'll hear the song "How Do I Go Vegan" by Gülce Özen Gürkan.

The essay that Professor Francione mentioned during the interview, "Reflections on Tom Regan and the Animal Rights Movement That Once Was", was published in Between the Species in 2018.

Gary Francione's websites can be found at AbolitionistApproach.com and HowDoIGoVegan.com.

You can find my previous interview with Professor Francione on Episode 32.

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/50656.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-january-27-2021.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Facebook and Instagram. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 46: Interview with Marianna C. Gonzalez about the Abolitionist Approach, vegan art, and veganism in Mexico

This week, I am pleased to present my interview with Marianna C. Gonzalez. Marianna, who lives in Mexico, creates art that promotes animal rights and veganism, with a focus on the Abolitionist Approach to Animal Rights.

Marianna's work has been featured by Gary Francione’s Abolitionist Approach Facebook Page, and she was featured in the book Advocate for Animals! by Gary Francione and Anna Charlton. Marianna translated Gary and Anna’s book Eat Like You Care into Spanish. Her blog can be found at EcoVeganSpirit.com.

In this interview, we discuss what the Abolitionist Approach is about, how art can be used as advocacy to make a difference in the world, why it’s important to read a text slowly in order to deeply understand it, and how the vegan movement is currently faring in Mexico.

You can find more of Marianna's animal rights artwork on her Facebook page. Thanks to Marianna for being a guest on the show!

How to listen to this episode 

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/50379.html.
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-january-6-2021.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Facebook and Instagram. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Yes, Being Vegan Does Make a Difference

Today I am happy to let you know about a new article that I wrote, which was published on the website of a wonderful vegan education group called Gentle World. In the article, I explain that the vegan ethic is about non-violence and non-exploitation, and then I describe how being vegan, as an individual, has the power to influence society towards veganism and make a real difference for nonhuman animals.

You can read the article on Gentle World's website. Thanks to Gentle World for publishing it!

Episode 44: Advocating Veganism and Normalizing Vegan Families, with Adam and Daniella of UK Vegan Family

Welcome to Episode 44 of Always for Animal Rights!

This week, I am very happy to present my second interview with Daniella and Adam, who live in the UK and are raising their young son, Jack, as a vegan. On YouTube and Instagram, they are known as UK Vegan Family. Using the tagline, "Normalising Vegan Families", they aim to change society’s views about vegan families and vegan children, as well as raise awareness about anti-vegan discrimination and cyberbullying.

In this interview, Adam and Daniella tell me about how they aim to normalize veganism and educate others about veganism, vegan nutrition, and animal rights. They also share their story of being targeted by anti-vegan cyberbullying, which has led them to focus on advocating against anti-vegan discrimination in society. Then we discuss what their favourite vegan children’s books are, how their son feels when he sees people exploiting animals on TV, how we can cook without using refined oils, and what is currently bringing their family the most joy.

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/50039.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-december-9-2020.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Facebook and Instagram. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

 

Episode 43: Why animal rights advocates should focus on vegan education instead of confrontational tactics

Welcome to Episode 43 of Always for Animal Rights!

Today, I am pleased to present my second interview with Elizabeth Collins, the host of New Zealand Vegan Podcast. Elizabeth's vegan advocacy is based on Gary Francione's Abolitionist Approach to Animal Rights. You might recall that Elizabeth was a guest on Episode 22 of the show.

In this interview, we discuss the following topics:

• the importance of nonviolence in vegan advocacy;
• why we think that confrontational tactics (such as disruptions and road blockades) are counterproductive to the animal rights movement;
• how living as vegans and educating others about veganism and animal rights works to shift us towards a vegan world;
• the state of the vegan movement in New Zealand right now; and
  
• a moral conundrum involving vegan cooking classes in NZ.
  

These are very important (yet admittedly controversial) topics. I ask that all listeners think carefully about what we say. If you disagree with us, I am sure that you will be kind and respectful in any responses that you may submit.

This episode of Always for Animal Rights will be broadcast next Wednesday at 4:30 pm. However, you can listen to it online any time!

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/49928.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-december-2-2020.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Facebook and Instagram. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site.

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 32: Gary Francione explains why veganism is a moral imperative

Episode 32 of Always for Animal Rights features my recent interview with the animal rights scholar Gary Francione, professor of philosophy and law at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Gary Francione has been a vegan since the 1980's and is most well-known for his work developing the Abolitionist Approach to animal rights. He is the author of several influential books about animal rights and veganism. His most recent book, called Why Veganism Matters, will be published later this year.

In this interview, Gary Francione speaks about the principles of the Abolitionist Approach, and he explains why welfare reforms cannot lead to the abolition of animal exploitation. He also discusses why veganism is our moral obligation, what the COVID-19 pandemic is telling us about humans’ relationship with other animals, and why lab meat is not a solution to speciesism.

It's an interesting interview, indeed!

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/48400.html.
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-july-15-2020.
   

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Facebook and Instagram. If you'd like to receive an e-mail every time there is a new post on the AFAR blog, feel free to enter your e-mail address into the appropriate box in the right-hand sidebar of this site. 

Go vegan, stay vegan, and let's remember to stand up and speak up for animal rights today and every day. Thanks for listening to the show!

Episode 22: Elizabeth Collins explains the Abolitionist Approach to animal rights and the problems with single-issue campaigning

Welcome to Episode 22 of Always for Animal Rights! On today's show is my interview with the vegan educator Elizabeth Collins.

Elizabeth, who lives in New Zealand, has been running street stalls to educate the public about veganism since 2009, and she is also the host of the NZ Vegan Podcast. (You can find her main website at nzvegan.com). Her activism is based on the principles of Gary Francione's Abolitionist Approach to animal rights.

In this interview, Elizabeth tells me about the Abolitionist Approach, and we discuss some of the problems with single-issue campaigning. She also offers her advice to anyone who wants to start their own abolitionist vegan street stall or other advocacy initiative. As well, she tells me about what is happening with the animal advocacy movement and vegan movement in New Zealand.

I think this episode will be especially useful for those who aren't sure whether they should engage in single-issue campaigns. I hope you'll listen in!

How to listen to this episode

There are two ways you can hear this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/47548.html.
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afarapril82020.

You can also find Always for Animal Rights on Facebook and Instagram.

Until next week!