Episode 68: Singer-songwriter Vegan Queen V speaks about her vegan Christmas music and her upcoming animal rights album

This week, I am pleased to present my second interview with the vegan singer-songwriter Vegan Queen V, also known as Jen Armstrong. The first time I interviewed Queen V was in 2019, for Episode 10 of my show. Queen V, who lives in the UK, creates songs that advocate for veganism and against animal exploitation.

In this interview, Queen V and I discuss her vegan Christmas songs, “Cruel World” and “Have Yourself a Merry Vegan Christmas”, as well as a song about ethics titled “Who Made You God”. Queen V also tells me about her upcoming animal rights music album and how being vegan has changed her life.

We'll hear all of the aforementioned songs on this episode, and we'll close the show with the song "Just Like Us".

It was fantastic to speak with Queen V again 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/553/54399.html.
   
2.  Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-december-1-2021.
   

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 67: Interview with Michael Prikryl about advocating for veganism through music and conversation

This week, I am very happy to present my interview with the animal rights activist and musician Michael Prikryl, who lives in the Czech Republic. Also known as Pianomike, Michael creates songs that advocate for veganism and animal rights. He is a co-organizer of the Anonymous for the Voiceless chapter in the city of Olomouc in the Czech Republic, a contributor to the Jane Unchained News Network, and a public speaker.

In this interview, Michael tells me about the current state of the vegan movement in the Czech Republic, and we discuss Michael’s vegan music and the Liberation Pledge. Michael also explains how he uses the Socratic method when having conversations about veganism, how the vegan ethic fits into his overall philosophy of life, and how being vegan has changed his life.

At the end of the show, we’ll hear Michael’s abolitionist vegan song, “Animal Liberation”.

This was a great conversation!

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/553/54337.html.
   
2.  Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-november-24-2021.
   

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 66: Interview with Sumaya Braceras about becoming vegan, vegan advocacy in the Canary Islands, and debunking common excuses against veganism

Sumaya doing vegan outreach

This week, I am pleased to present my interview with Sumaya Braceras, a vegan activist who lives in the Canary Islands of Spain. In addition to advocating for veganism online and in her everyday life, Sumaya does street outreach with Anonymous for the Voiceless to educate the public about the importance of going vegan.

In this interview, Sumaya tells her story of what inspired her to become vegan, and she describes the current state of the vegan movement in the Canary Islands. We discuss how we can respond to some of the questions or excuses that we hear when we are having vegan advocacy conversations. Sumaya also tells me about how she advocates for veganism in her everyday interactions and how being vegan has changed her life.

It's a great interview!

How to listen to this episode

There are three ways you can listen to this episode.

1. Listen to the episode on CKCU FM's website at https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/553/54139.html.
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-november-10th-2021.
3. Listen to or download the podcast on SoundCloud at https://soundcloud.com/alwaysforanimalrights/interview-with-sumaya-braceras-about-becoming-vegan-and-vegan-advocacy-in-the-canary-islands.
   

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 65: Interview with Clif Grant about veganism, vegan advocacy conversations, and why zoos are unethical

This week, I am excited to share my interview with Clif Grant, a vegan animal rights activist from the North of Ireland. Clif has been a vegan for about a decade and has been involved in various forms of vegan advocacy. He currently gives speeches about veganism, has a vegan advocacy YouTube channel, and does street outreach in Belfast, Ireland, to educate and inspire the public to become vegan.

In this interview, Clif tells me about what led him to adopt a vegan way of life, and he describes how he engages people in conversations about veganism when he’s doing street outreach. We discuss why there’s no such thing as “humane” animal exploitation, why veganism can be seen as being in alignment with Christian ethics, and what’s wrong with patronizing zoos. Clif also speaks about how being vegan has changed his life.

I really enjoyed this conversation!

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/553/54065.html.
2.  Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-november-3-2021.
   

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 64: Interview with Dr. Carlo Alvaro about raw veganism and raising children as ethical vegans

This week, I am pleased to present my second interview with the vegan philosopher and virtue ethicist, Dr. Carlo Alvaro. Carlo is an Associate Professor of philosophy at CUNY New York City College of Technology. He is the author of Ethical Veganism, Virtue Ethics, and the Great Soul, published in 2019, as well as Raw Veganism: The Philosophy of The Human Diet, which was published in 2020. His new book about raw veganism, The Book of Raw, will be published by Lantern Publishing & Media next year. He has also written a book titled, Deism: A Rational Journey from Disbelief to the Existence of God, which will be available in March 2022.

In this interview, Carlo tells me about the philosophy and science behind raw veganism, and he responds to the cliché that it’s okay to eat “everything in moderation”. We also discuss where raw vegans get calcium, why eating animal products constitutes a form of self-deception, and what we can expect to find in his upcoming book. Then Carlo speaks about why parents should raise their children as ethical vegans without compromising on this issue.

Some of Dr. Alvaro's academic work can be found online. I recommend that you check it out!

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/553/53895.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-october-21-2021.
   

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 63: Interview with Dr. Benjamin Benulis about healing from chronic illness on a whole foods plant-based diet

This week, I am delighted to present my recent interview with Dr. Benjamin Benulis, a vegan and plant-based doctor of chiropractic based in Arizona. Having healed himself from chronic illness on a whole-foods plant-based diet over a decade ago, Dr. Ben now works to help others achieve optimal health by eliminating the root causes of disease.

In this interview, Dr. Ben tells me his story of how adopting a whole foods plant-based diet allowed him to heal from autoimmune disease, and he describes what his daily diet looks like now. We discuss some commonly asked questions about protein and sugar, what’s wrong with the way that mainstream medicine currently addresses chronic health issues, how a whole foods plant-based diet helps to reverse chronic disease, whether the natural health products industry is helpful or harmful, and whether eating a fruit-based vegan diet can prevent junk food cravings. Then Dr. Ben speaks about some of the connections between animal agriculture, the pharmaceutical industry, and vivisection, and we discuss the upcoming Worldwide Vegan Summit for Truth and Freedom.

At the end of the show, we'll be listening to the song "Just Like Us" by the vegan singer-songwriter Jen Armstrong (the wonderful Vegan Queen V!).

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/553/53820.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-october-13-2021.
   

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 62: Interview with Jeremy Hess about animal rights, the importance of sanctuaries, and unlearning speciesist language

Jeremy and Mr. T at
FRIEND Farm Animal Sanctuary

This week, I am very happy to present my recent interview with the animal rights advocate Jeremy Hess. Jeremy has been a vegan for more than 7 years and has been involved in various forms of animal rights advocacy, including volunteering at sanctuaries, giving speeches about veganism and animal rights, creating YouTube videos, doing street outreach, and more. On his website, VeganInteractions.com, and his YouTube Channel, Jeremy the Ape, he provides resources to help advocates use accurate and non-speciesist language and learn about animal rights theory. He is currently working to create a vegan microsanctuary to provide a home for rescued animals in the United States.

In this interview, Jeremy tells his story of becoming vegan and embracing a rights-based approach to animal advocacy. We also discuss how we can avoid using speciesist language in our advocacy and our everyday lives, and whether there is a difference between the words “exploitation” and “use”. Jeremy describes the importance of sanctuaries in the animal rights movement, how veganism is connected to animal rights, how we can respond to the “plants” objection to veganism, and what is the best thing about being vegan in his experience.

During the interview, I also mentioned an essay, "The Case for Animal Rights" by Tom Regan, which summarizes the key concepts in Regan's book of the same name. Although I haven't read any of Regan's books, I have read a number of Gary Francione's books, which have helped me to learn about animal rights theory.

This was a very thought-provoking discussion, and I hope you'll tune in!

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/553/53658.html.
   
2. Listen to or download the podcast from Archive.org at https://archive.org/details/afar-september-29-2021.
   

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!