Anti-Oppression | Hope For The Animals Podcast https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org News, Views, Clucks and Moos! Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:42:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0 Episode 136: Vegan Visibility with Kathleen Gage https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-136-vegan-visibility-with-kathleen-gage/ Mon, 01 Jun 2026 20:42:17 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=2112

Episode 136: Vegan Visibility with Kathleen Gage

Happy Pride Month! We’re celebrating Pride with Kathleen Gage, the founder of Vegan Visibility. Kathleen shares her experiences as a vegan lesbian and emphasizes the significance of understanding the history of the LGBT+ community and its relevance to current political and social dynamics. Kathleen discusses her business, Vegan Visibility, and her work with Blue Barn Animal Sanctuary in Creswell, Oregon. She also shares her personal way she celebrates Pride.

Kathleen Gage is the founder of Vegan Visibility and a longtime business consultant, keynote speaker, marketing strategist, and podcast host. With certifications in Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell University, Kathleen has spent decades helping entrepreneurs and changemakers grow their visibility and impact. She hosts 2 podcasts “Vegan Visibility” and “Plant Based Eating for Health,” and is the creator of the Vegan Visibility Virtual Summit, supporting vegan and plant-based entrepreneurs worldwide. She resides with her wife in Pleasant Hill, Oregon.

Resources:

Vegan Visibility

Socials: 

https://x.com/kathleengage

https://www.facebook.com/VeganVisibilityNetwork 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleengage/

Other Pride Hope for the Animals Episodes:

The Vegan Drag Queen, Honey LaBronx

Trans Vegan Voices

Support this podcast:

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Compassionate Living

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]]> Episode 134: Voting for a Compassionate Future with David Michelson https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-134-voting-for-a-compassionate-future-with-david-michelson/ Tue, 21 Apr 2026 16:45:21 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=2101

Episode 134: Voting for a Compassionate Future with David Michelson

Vegans are visionaries. We hold a vision of a nonviolent future where all animals are free from human imposed commodification, suffering, and killing. What if this vision was on the ballot and we could vote on it? That could be happing soon with the Oregon Initiative Petition 28 — officially titled the PEACE Act, People for Elimination of Animal Cruelty Exemptions. This ballot initiative would eliminate the legal exemptions that currently protect hunting, fishing, trapping, and farming from Oregon’s animal abuse statutes. David Michelson is the visionary heading up this historic effort and on this episode he shares insights into the campaign including why he decided to start it, why in Oregon, and what its passing would mean for animals. He also clears up some misconceptions about the campaign and talks about our vision as a movement and how we need to hold onto the hope for total animal liberation. 

David Michelson is the lead organizer behind a ballot initiative campaign in Oregon that seeks to ban the killing and breeding of all animals statewide—including those on farms, in research labs, and in the wild. David started this campaign in 2020, and is currently working on qualifying it for the 2026 upcoming election. 

Resources:

Campaign website: YES on IP28

BOOK: Spirit Matters by Michael Lerner

 

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]]> Episode 133: Vegan Made Easy with Joanne Kong https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-133-vegan-made-easy-with-joanne-kong/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 19:36:36 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=2098

Episode 133: Vegan Made Easy with Joanne Kong

Joanne Kong joins us on the Hope for the Animals Podcast to talk about her new book Vegan Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Plant-Based Living. This episode explores the how-to of living vegan.  Joanne talks about why she felt it was important to start the book with the vegan connection to social justice. She and Hope also talk about the difference between vegan and plantbased, sticky situations that vegans encounter and how to deal with them, how to avoid animal products beyond food, and some responses to frequently asked carnist questions.

Dr. Joanne Kong’s new book Vegan Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Plant-Based Living provides practical tips and know-how for those on their plant-based journey. It covers a wide range of topics including ways to make the transition, stocking your vegan kitchen, meal-planning, shopping, understanding food labels, plus advice on navigating social challenges, travel, and eating out. Beyond diet, other lifestyle aspects of vegan living are explored as well. 

Vegan advocate Dr. Joanne Kong has spoken throughout the United States, including talks at numerous vegfests, conferences, high schools, and universities. Her highly-praised TEDx talk, The Power of Plant-Based Eating, at over 1 million views on YouTube, is placed on numerous websites internationally. Dr. Kong is the editor of Vegan Voices: Essays by Inspiring Changemakers, released in 2021 by Lantern Publishing & Media. She also appears in the major documentary, Eating Our Way to Extinction. As a critically-acclaimed concert pianist, Joanne incorporates the arts into her animal advocacy with benefit concerts for animal sanctuaries, as well as unique Strands of Compassion events presented by VEGAN VIRTUOSI, a duo with cellist Dr. Christoph Wagner. Her new book, Vegan Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Plant-Based Living, is out now.  

 Resources: 

Joanne’s website: www.vegansmakeadifference.com

Joanne’s Book: Vegan Made Easy: A Practical Guide to Plant-Based Living

Eugene VeganFest, May 3, 2026

Support this podcast:

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]]> Episode 132: Men and Meat: Culture, Identity, and Politics with Jan Liband https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-132-men-and-meat-culture-identity-and-politics-with-jan-liband/ Wed, 11 Mar 2026 20:39:24 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=2092

Episode 132: Men and Meat: Culture, Identity, and Politics with Jan Liband

On this episode we are tackling the cultural and political shift back to meat, saturated fat, high-protein diets and the connection to hyper-masculinity. The US is seeing a resurgence of meat-eating as a symbol of masculinity, masculinism, meat connected to identity politics and the “culture wars”. Our guest, Jan Liband, will explore the social factors driving this backlash and explore how social media, economic uncertainly, and fear are motivating this trend. Jan and Hope talk about how toxic masculinity, a toxic subsidized meat economy, and a response to progressive advancements are components propelling the meat-heavy movement. They also talk about the pervasive myths around meat, protein, and muscle building, and how these affect men in particular. There are strong phycological factors at play that are embedded in our culture and are resurfacing in our current political climate.

Jan Liband is a fact-based environmentalist, public speaker, and former Silicon Valley veteran who has been vegan since the 1980s. He has an academic background in psychology plus decades in marketing and has studied our shifting attitudes towards food and the growing environmental and health impacts of our global food system for decades. Jan volunteers for several vegan and environmental organizations and serves as Chief Researcher and Speaker for Plant-Based Advocates, a Bay Area based non-profit and is a board member of Compassionate Living. In addition to advocacy, Jan is an accomplished athlete, martial artist, and professional musician who holds a degree in Psychology from U.C. Santa Cruz.

Resources:

FILM: The Game Changers

BOOK: The Sexual Politics of Meat

Atlantic Article: America is Done Pretending About Meat: Plant Based Eating Has Lost Its Appeal

Support this podcast:

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Compassionate Living

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]]> Episode 122: Vegan is a Boycott with Janet O-Shea https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-122-vegan-is-a-boycott-with-janet-o-shea/ Fri, 15 Aug 2025 17:15:25 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=2013

Episode 122: Vegan is a Boycott with Janet O-Shea

Some advocates in environmental and animal activism argue that we should solely focus on changing the system through government and corporate campaigns, discouraging grassroots action and personal change. Our guest, Janet O’Shea (informally known as Jay), co-authored an article in Newsweek in response to an environmental author’s piece arguing that going vegan is ineffective. Jay systematically debunks the faulty argumentation and refutes its flawed analogies. She offers insightful perspectives on veganism as a boycott, a social justice issue, and the history of vegetarianism, highlighting its differences from the current context.

Then, continuing the conversation about the importance of individual action, Jay talks about Gandhi and the Kahdi (homespun cotton) movement, comparing the British cotton boycott during the British occupation of India to the boycott of animal products today. Jay is incredibly knowledge and reveals some fascinating insights into this issue, please share this episode!  

Full Bio:

Janet (Jay) O’Shea is author of Risk, Failure, Play: What Dance Reveals about Martial Arts Training (2019) and At Home in the World: Bharata Natyam on the Global Stage (2007).  She is currently writing a book, entitled Bodies on the Line: Physicality, Sentiment, and Social Justice, which focuses on utility cycling advocacy, border solidary efforts, and farmed animal rescue. She has also written book chapters and articles on veganism, animal rights, and environmentalism. She is part of the teaching team for the freshman cluster course Food as a Lens for the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA, is on the advisory board of Climate Diet, and is a board member of New Roots Institute. She is a regular volunteer with animal rights, border solidarity, and food justice organizations. She is a Professor and Chair of the department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance at UCLA.

RESOUCES:

Jay’s Newsweek Article

Related Podcast: The Cage-Free Conundrum

TRANSCRIPT

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]]> Episode 114: REPLAY: Oppression As a Singular Thread with lauren Ornelas https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-114-replay-oppression-as-a-singular-thread-with-lauren-ornelas/ Wed, 19 Mar 2025 22:45:42 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=1943

Episode 114: REPLAY: Oppression As a Singular Thread with lauren Ornelas

Today’s show is a replay of an earlier episode with lauren Ornelas, founder of Food Empowerment Project. Food Empowerment Project is a vegan food justice nonprofit that promotes veganism, works to bring attention to the rights of farm workers, highlights the lack of access to healthy foods in Black and Brown communities, and raise awareness about the worst forms of slavery, including child labor, in the chocolate industry. lauren has been deeply involved in animal rights activism since 1987 and was the director of VivaUSA before founding Food Empowerment Project.

lauren and Hope talk about the connections between food, veganism, and human rights with issues like child and slave labor chocolate production, food deserts and access to produce and healthy food, and Food Empowerment Project’s Fight for the Oceans campaign highlighting the struggles of the ocean and her sea creatures. Lauren will be speaking at Compassionate Living’s upcoming Eugene VeganFest on May 4, 2025.

Resources:

Food Empowerment Project

Lauren’s TEDx Talk: The Power of our Food Choices

About child labor and slavery in chocolate production and the FEP’s recommended chocolate list

Eugene VeganFest, 5/4/25

 

Support this podcast:

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Compassionate Living


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]]> Episode 107: Culture, Race, and Veganism: Dissolving the Tensions with Maneesha Deckha https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-107-culture-race-and-veganism-dissolving-the-tensions-with-maneesha-deckha/ Wed, 25 Sep 2024 15:37:20 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=1896

Episode 107: Culture, Race, and Veganism: Dissolving the Tensions with Maneesha Deckha

In this episode, we will delve into the discord between human rights and animal rights. This friction has been featured in various spheres: academic studies, the media, food and culture literature, food security issues, and the law which is where we will focus on today.

Maneesha Deckha is Professor and Lansdowne Chair in Law at the University of Victoria in British Columbia where she directs the Animals & Society Research Initiative. Her research expertise includes critical animal law, vegan ecofeminist theory, and postcolonial theory. She is the author of Animals as Legal Beings: Contesting Anthropocentric Legal Orders and has directed an open access documentary series designed for high school and undergraduate students called A Deeper Kindness: Youth Activism in Animal Law.

Maneesha gives real world examples of legal cases to show that there are cultural, racial, and indigenous rights concerns for extending legal rights to nonhuman animals and how we can mitigate these tensions. One example is the case brought on behalf of Happy the Elephant at the Bronx Zoo by the Nonhuman Animal Rights Project. She unpacks some of the history of these apprehensions and offers a framework for solidarity to move us forward for everyone’s benefit.

RESOURCES:

Books:

Trickster Trilogy by Eden Robbinson

Aphro-ism: Essays on Pop Culture, Feminism, and Black Veganism from Two Sisters by Aph Ko & Syl Ko

Sista Vegan edited by A. Breeze Harper

Brotha Vegan edited by Omowale Adewale

 

Please support this podcast:

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Compassionate Living

 

 

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]]> Episode 102: The Vegan Drag Queen, Honey LaBronx https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-102-the-vegan-drag-queen-honey-labronx/ Fri, 07 Jun 2024 21:07:14 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=1868

Episode 102: The Vegan Drag Queen, Honey LaBronx

Happy Pride! Joining us on this special Pride episode is Honey LaBronx, The Vegan Drag Queen. Honey stared in her own YouTube vegan cooking series and traveled the world with her one-woman drag show, raising funds for local LGBTQ and animal organizations along the way. She is committed to bringing discussions about animal rights, racism, and social justice to new audiences. In 2011, she was one of eight activists arrested for blocking New York City traffic while demonstrating for marriage equality alongside her drag mother, Bob The Drag Queen (winner of Season 8 of RuPaul’s Drag Race). Out of drag, Ben Strothmann is an actor, singer, playwright, and theatrical photographer, originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Hope and Honey cover an assortment of fascinating topics– how her sobriety journey led her to veganism, why she chose her drag name, how fat is beautiful, and embracing radical compassion. Honey also talks about the challenges within the gay and drag community with emboldened conservatives supporting legislation, violence, and oppression against the LGBT community. Hope and Honey laugh, lament, theorize, and bring a little joy to us all.

Resources:

@HoneyLaBronx

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HoneyLaBronx

Video: Rachel Wiley, The Fat Joke

 

Thank you for your support!

Compassionate Living

Hope for the Animals Podcast

 

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]]> Episode 96: Vegan Entanglements and Systematic Oppressions with Zane McNeill https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-96-vegan-entanglements-and-systematic-oppressions-with-zane-mcneill/ Thu, 29 Feb 2024 18:30:35 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=1828

Episode 96: Vegan Entanglements and Systematic Oppressions with Zane McNeill

Connecting veganism to other justice causes is critical to our success and our guest today recognized this at a very young age. Zane McNeill (they/him) is a scholar-activist, chair of the National Lawyers Guild’s Animal Liberation Committee, and was the co-manager of the collective Right for Animal Rights Activists. They have worked closely with the Institute of Critical Animal Studies (ICAS) and have published chapters in ICAS collections, including Vegans on Speciesism and Ableism: Ecoability Voices for Disability and Animal Justice and Expanding the Critical Animal Studies Imagination: Essays on Solidarity and Total Liberation. They have also edited Queer and Trans Voices: Achieving Liberation Through Consistent Anti-Oppression, Vegan Entanglements: Dismantling Racial and Carceral Capitalism, and Building Multispecies Resistance Against Exploitation: Stories from the Frontlines of Labor and Animal Rights (forthcoming, Peter Lang Publishing).

Zane will help us to unpack new terms like “consistent anti-oppression” and “total liberation” as well as “carceral veganism” where animal activists align with agencies to criminalize and deport people in marginalized communities of color when we should be targeting the system of oppression itself. They discuss the parallels of body autonomy issues for humans and non-humans. Zane addresses everything from micro aggressions experienced by animal activists within the movement to larger, structural issues of oppression. Join us for this important discussion.

Resources: 

Zane’s Book Vegan Entanglements

Hope for the Animals Podcast

Compassionate Living

Compassionate Living’s YouTube Page

 

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]]> Episode 84: Anti-Fat Bias in Vegan Advocacy with Britty Mann https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-84-anti-fat-bias-in-vegan-advocacy-with-britty-mann/ Fri, 14 Jul 2023 16:13:17 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=1483

Episode 84: Anti-Fat Bias in Vegan Advocacy with Britty Mann

On this episode we are talking about an issue that affects so many, but is rarely talked about—discrimination because of the size of our bodies. Britty Mann joins us to break it down. Britty is the Founder and Executive Director of Planted Society, a U.S. nonprofit that makes plant-based eating more accessible to ensure a better future for the planet and all living beings. With over 15 years of experience in supply chain and community advocacy, Britty believes that we all have the capacity to help change the global food system, starting by fostering relationships with our own bodies and enacting change in our local communities.

Bitty shares with Hope her thoughts on fat bias in the animal and vegan advocacy movement and how certain campaigns and protocol can be exclusionary and hurtful. She talks about the concept of “healthism” and how it affects the experience and contribution of larger bodied people in the vegan movement.

Resources:

Ending Anti-Fat Bias Resources and References

Episode 24: Fat Justice and Veganism with Andy Tabar

Planted Society

Learn More and Support this Podcast:

Compassionate Living

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]]> Episode 75: Black Vegan Culture with Naijha Wright-Brown https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-75-black-vegan-culture-with-naijha-wright-brown/ Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:35:15 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=1395

Episode 75: Black Vegan Culture with Naijha Wright-Brown

Naijha Wright-Brown is the Executive Director of the Black Veg Society, a 501c3 non-profit organization that educates predominantly Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities on the benefits of holistic living, the plant-based diet, and veganism.  She is also the co-creator of Vegan Soulfest and Maryland Vegan Restaurant Month. Naijha shares her journey creating a soul food restaurant called The Land of Kush as well as an incredibly successful Black-focused vegan festival all while running the Black Veg Society. Naijha is on a mission to help people find their vegan soul!

Resources:

Naijha Speaks- YouTube

Black Veg Society

Vegan SoulFest– August 19 & 20, 2023

About the Egyptian Kingdom of Kush

Soul of Ahimsa: Vegan Spiritualty Retreat in NY

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]]> Episode 69: Advocating for Animals In Asia with Elly Nakajima https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-69-advocating-for-animals-in-asia-with-elly-nakajima/ Wed, 30 Nov 2022 17:44:37 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=1353

Episode 69: Advocating for Animals In Asia with Elly Nakajima

Elly Nakajima is the founder and director of Animal Alliance Asia – a movement building organization dedicated to empowering and training animal justice activists across Asia. Born in Japan and currently based in the UK, Elly is passionate about building a more inclusive, culturally relevant, and effective movement across Asia. She was one of the first Japanese language educational content providers for vegan advocates in Japan.

Hope and Elly discuss the need for vegan advocacy to adapt and change for different cultures and different audiences in Asia. Elly explains why truly local leadership across Asia is critical for the ideas of veganism and animal rights to thrive. Elly is on a mission to empower woman and people of the global majority to embrace leadership roles in animal rights and to feel confident advocating for animals in their countries and regions.

Resources:

Animal Alliance Asia

DONATE TO COMPASIONTE LIVING’S MACTHING CAMPAIGN

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]]> Episode 58: Trans Vegan Voices https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-58-trans-vegan-voices/ Tue, 14 Jun 2022 19:03:47 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=1163

Episode 58: Trans Vegan Voices

HAPPY PRIDE MONTH! We are celebrating Pride today with two amazing people, Mckenzee Griffler and Pax Ahimsa Gethen. Mckenzee holds a certification in Animal Sanctuary Management and is the Executive Director at the Open Sanctuary Project. Mckenzee is a trans woman and shares with us some basics of trans etiquette, unpacks some of the most pressing issues facing the trans community, and conveys why respecting and supporting trans people and trans kids saves lives. Pax Ahimsa Gethen is a blogger, photographer, Wikipedia editor, and long-time vegan. Pax shares their thoughts on the connection of being trans and being vegan, some San Francisco trans history, proposing gun abolition, and the story of their connection with a neurodivergent alpaca at VINE animal sanctuary.

Resources from Mckenzee (she/her/hers):

Podcasts:
Gender Reveal
TransLash Podcast
The Anti-Trans Hate Machine

Websites:

Them.us

https://genderdysphoria.fyi/
SingularThey.info
State Action Center – National Center For Trans Equality

Books:

A Quick & Easy Guide To Queer and Trans Identities
A Quick & Easy Guide To They Them Pronouns
Queer: A Graphic History
A Queer History Of The United States

Orgs:
Sylvia Rivera Law Project
Trans Lifeline
The Trevor Project
The National Center For Trans Equality
ACLU

Resources from Pax (they/them/their):

Website:

http://funcrunch.org

Blog Posts:

Dare to disarm

Resistance to going vegan – excuses and responses

The Transgender District: https://www.transgenderdistrictsf.com/

Office of Transgender Initiatives: https://sf.gov/transcitysf

Compton Cafeteria Riots: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jun/21/stonewall-san-francisco-riot-tenderloin-neighborhood-trans-women

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]]> Episode 53: Fabulously Vegan with Jasmin Singer https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-53-fabulously-vegan-with-jasmin-singer/ Thu, 31 Mar 2022 21:27:22 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=1133

Episode 53: Fabulously Vegan with Jasmin Singer

The amazing and fabulous Jasmin Singer is a worldwide leading expert on veganism, the co-host of the long-running Our Hen House podcast, a longtime contributor to VegNews magazine as well as the author and editor of numerous books. Hope and Jasmin had a ton of fun covering a lot of territory starting with reminiscing about being vegan in the 90s, Jasmin’s journey writing her memoir, and her evolution coming from the LGBTQ movement into the animal rights space and how that overlaps and connects. They talk the groundbreaking anthology that Jasmin recently edited about anti-racism in the animal rights movement, they discuss thin privilege and discrimination against larger bodied people and how that manifests in the vegan community, as well as the adventure of making her new home in upper state New York net zero.

Resources:

Website: https://jasminsinger.com

Blog: Jasmin’s Jargon

Podcast: Our Hen House 

Books: The VegNews Guide to Being a Fabulous Vegan,

Always Too Much and Never Enough: A Memoir 

Anthology: Antiracism in Animal Advocacy: Igniting Cultural Transformation

Episode 24: Fat Justice and Veganism with Andy Tabar

What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gorden

 

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]]> Episode 52: Fighting Injustice for All with Christopher Soul Eubanks https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-52-fighting-injustice-for-all-with-christopher-soul-eubanks/ Mon, 14 Mar 2022 17:28:25 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=1126

Episode 52: Fighting Injustice for All with Christopher Soul Eubanks

Hope starts us off with some news on a case of blatant greenwashing from a long-time vegan company that has sparked a Compassionate Living Campaign. Then we are honored to have vegan and human rights activist Christopher Soul Eubanks on the podcast. Soul is a climate, human, and animal rights activist in Atlanta, Georgia and has dedicated himself to doing advocacy work that combats all forms of injustice. After becoming vegan, Soul helped co-organize Atlanta’s first ever animal rights march, started a YouTube channel, and is a contributing author to two anthologies. He is also contributing a chapter to Hope’s upcoming Humane Hoax anthology that will be published early next year by Lantern Publishing and Media. Hope and Soul talk about the importance of shifting animal advocacy to one of inclusion with a broader perspective for more effective activism. They discuss Soul’s new non-profit, APEX Advocacy, the term People of the Global Majority, delicious vegan southern-style food, and how animal rights can help achieve collective liberation for all.

Resources:

APEX Advocacy

Soul’s YouTube Channel

Black Vegan Everything

Boycott Comic Bliss Ice Cream Campaign and please sign the Petition

 

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]]> Episode 37: Veganism, Diversity, and Healthy Advocacy with Dr. Leila Dehghan https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-37-veganism-diversity-and-healthy-advocacy-with-dr-leila-dehghan/ Fri, 27 Aug 2021 17:50:39 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=850

Episode 37: Veganism, Diversity, and Healthy Advocacy with Dr. Leila Dehghan

We begin todays show with another Glimmers of Hope Segment where Hope shares some good news stories for animals from around the world. Then we are joined by Dr. Leila Dehghan. Leila is a medical doctor turned plant-based nutritionist. After transitioning to a whole food, plant-based lifestyle, she earned a Plant-Based Nutrition Certificate and obtained a Master’s of Science in Clinical and Public Health Nutrition. Her focus is to find effective ways to address racial and socio-economic issues that affect health. Her project “Athletes, Food & Diversity” seeks to introduce a plant-based diet to people of the global majority (a new term coined to refer to Black, Indigenous and people of color). Leila talks to Hope about racism’s negative effect on health, the importance of creating inclusive content in the vegan movement, and veganism as a social justice issue.

Resources:

Athletes, Food & Diversity

Facebook: Dr Leila D.- Plant-Powered Qi Nutrition

Instagram: @plantpowered_qi_nutrition

Website: drleilad.com

Leila recommends this important article from Sentient Media

Book from Encompass: Antiracism in Animal Advocacy: Igniting Cultural Transformation

 

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]]> Episode 34: Effective Online Vegan Advocacy and Etiquette with Andy Tabar https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-34-effective-online-vegan-advocacy-and-etiquette-with-andy-tabar/ Thu, 22 Jul 2021 15:19:22 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=797

Episode 34: Effective Online Vegan Advocacy and Etiquette with Andy Tabar

On this episode, Andy Tabar joins us again to have a conversation with Hope about effective online communication for vegans and animal advocates. Andy was the co-host of much beloved and missed The Bearded Vegans, a podcast that was dedicated to discussing the ethical grey areas of living a vegan life. Andy is also the owner of Compassion Co, an organic, USA made clothing line.  Hope and Andy discuss online trolls, self-confirmation bias and the backfire effect, the detriment of misanthropy, and the importance of being culturally and racially sensitive. They offer tips and suggestions for making your social media experience the most positive and effective it can be.

Resources:

The Bearded Vegans Podcast

Compassion Co

Episode 24: Fat Justice and Veganism with Andy Tabar

The Social Dilemma (film)

Coded Bias (film)

 

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]]> Episode 30: Vegans for Black Lives Matter with Gwenna Hunter https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-30-vegans-for-black-lives-matter-with-gwenna-hunter/ Mon, 07 Jun 2021 18:19:59 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=768

Episode 30: Vegans for Black Lives Matter with Gwenna Hunter

Today on the podcast, we are joined by Gwenna Hunter. Gwenna is the creator of Vegans of LA and Vegans for Black Lives Matter. She also manages several vegan food aid programs that provide local communities in Los Angeles with nutritional support. Gwenna shares with us the growing awareness of veganism in the Black community, her work bringing vegan food to marginalized communities, and her spiritual receptiveness that led her to have a powerful lucid dream of becoming one with a cow. Join us for this important discussion on evolving our activism to include equity and compassion for everyone.

Resources:

Plant Based Briefing Podcast

Vegans for Black Lives Matter

Vegans of LA

Compassion Consortium

 

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]]> Episode 24: Fat Justice and Veganism with Andy Tabar https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-24-fat-justice-and-veganism-with-andy-tabar/ Sat, 27 Mar 2021 16:57:36 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=669

Episode 24: Fat Justice and Veganism with Andy Tabar

In the latest episode of the Hope for the Animals Podcast, we have Andy Tabar joining us to talk about anti-fat biases and veganism. Andy is the co-host of The Bearded Vegans, a podcast in its fifth year dedicated to discussing the ethical grey areas of living a vegan life. Andy is also the owner of Compassion Co, an organic, made in the USA clothing line.  In Episode 24, Andy educates us about the prevalence of fat phobia in the vegan community and why not addressing it harms activists and hinders animal liberation. He shares how we can support body diversity and fat justice so all are welcome in the vegan space. 

Resources:

The Bearded Vegans Podcast

Compassion Co Clothing

Chelsea Lincoln on Instagram: @FatVeganVoice

Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia, by Sabrina Strings

Aubrey Gordon-

Instagram: @YRFatFriend

Book: What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat

Podcast: Maintenance Phase

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 24

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]]> Episode 20: Anti-Oppression Outlook in Animal Advocacy with Michelle Rojas-Soto https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-20-anti-oppression-outlook-in-animal-advocacy-with-michelle-rojas-soto/ Thu, 11 Feb 2021 23:19:16 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=539

Episode 20: Anti-Oppression Outlook in Animal Advocacy with Michelle Rojas-Soto

In recognition of Black History Month, we have some recommendations of awesome activists and platforms to check out and then an enlightening interview with the Managing Director of Encompass, Michelle Rojas-Soto. Encompass is a non-profit fostering racial equity in animal advocacy. Their mission is to help make the farmed animal protection movement more effective by fostering racial diversity, equity, and inclusion. Michelle guides us into the worldview of anti-oppression work for humans and non-human animals simultaneously. She also explains the importance of evolving language and of using the term “global majority” instead of people of color.

Join us in helping advance 21st century activism that brings systematic oppressions together and recognizes the vital connections between justice issues.

Resources:

Encompass

Encompass Webinar

Vegans Against All Oppressions

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 20

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]]> Episode 12: Watch Your Language and The Invisible Vegan Filmmaker Jasmine Leyva https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-12-watch-your-language-and-the-invisible-vegan-filmmaker-jasmine-leyva/ Tue, 13 Oct 2020 18:17:18 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=480

Episode 12: Watch Your Language and The Invisible Vegan Filmmaker Jasmine Leyva

Hope starts us off today with a discussion about language. Our use of language shapes how we perceive the world. Our language around animals is especially important because it can influence how society thinks and feels about animals. Hope offers some suggestions for changing and improving our language to help people see animals as individuals. To recognize them beyond mere property, and see animals as sentient beings deserving of our protection and respect.

Next on the podcast we have the fun and fabulous, Jasmine Leyva. Jasmine is an actress and filmmaker who created the documentary The Invisible Vegan. This 90-minute independent documentary brings to light the health and wellness possibilities for the African-American community with a plant-based vegan diet and lifestyle. The Invisible Vegan offers both historical and contemporary perspectives on dietary trends among African-Americans. Hope and Jasmine talk about the importance of supporting vegan voices from black communities and all communities of color to help create the diverse, compassionate, interconnected vegan world we all want to see. 

Resources and Links:

Understanding Euthanasia: When Life and Words Become Worthless by Karen Davis

Watch The Invisible Vegan on:

Amazon Prime (Free with Prime subscription)

Tubi TV (Free)

KweliTV (Black female owned streaming service)

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 12

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]]> Episode 11: More Glimmers of Hope and Food Empowerment Project’s lauren Ornelas https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-11-more-glimmers-of-hope-and-food-empowerment-projects-lauren-ornelas/ Wed, 23 Sep 2020 19:24:24 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=464

Episode 11: More Glimmers of Hope and Food Empowerment Project’s lauren Ornelas

On todays podcast, we have another installment of Glimmers of Hope. In this recurring segment, Hope shares positive stories about animals from around the globe. The Glimmers of Hope segment features good news for animals that you might have missed with so many other news stories dominating 2020. We can use a little good news in these challenging times so we hope you enjoy Glimmers of Hope!

Next we have an interesting interview with Food Empowerment Project’s lauren Ornelas. lauren talks about her three decades of dedicated activism for animals. She founded the Food Empowerment Project in 2006 to bridge food justice issues by exposing injustices in our food system for humans and nonhuman animals. In this podcast, we hear about her undercover investigations of animal agriculture in the 1990s and her more recent work exposing food deserts in vulnerable communities. Hope and lauren also discuss vegan food accessibility, child slave labor in the chocolate industry, and much more. 

Join us for this informative and important interview with one of the most powerful voices in the animal rights movement today.

Resources and Links:

www.FoodIsPower.org

www.VeganMexicanFood.com

www.VeganFilipinoFood.com

lauren’s TED Talk

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 11

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]]> Episode 4: Unjust Farm Subsidies and Systemic Racism in the Food System with Connie Spence https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/episode-4-unjust-farm-subsidies-and-systemic-racism-in-the-food-system-with-connie-spence/ Thu, 11 Jun 2020 20:25:12 +0000 https://hopefortheanimalspodcast.org/?p=394

Episode 4: Unjust Farm Subsidies and Systemic Racism in the Food System with Connie Spence

On this episode we talk with Connie Spence, an outspoken vegan and anti-oppression activist whose work addresses a range of justice issues. In this podcast we will discuss using creative tactics in vegan activism, systemic racism in the food system, and unjust farm subsidies. Connie Spence is the founder of Vegan Justice League and the Agriculture Fairness Alliance. The Vegan Justice League educates vegan advocates about the issue of farm subsidies, and the Agricultural Fairness Alliance is a federal lobbying group influencing legislation to bring fairness back to farm policy by ending subsidies and bailouts.

Connie has utilized creative tactics in her vegan activism. Using a large stage light, Connie has projected vegan messages onto buildings that could be seen from half a mile away. These seven-story tall projections have been shown in diverse locations such as on the Staples Center, on Las Vegas hotels, on freeways in Los Angeles, and many other prominent locations. Now, through her two sister organizations, she is dedicated to educating the community about how the food system is monopolized and rigged by livestock farmers and what we need to do to solve it. Agriculture Fairness Alliance is sponsoring federal legislation that will divert subsidies to programs that help struggling animal farmers transition to sustainable, plant-based, cruelty-free farming.  Learn more about how to support this legislation here.

Suggested Reading:

Meatonomics by David Robinson Simon

Stop Comparing Black Lives Matter to Animal Rights by Summer Anne Burton

Attention White Animal Rights Activists by Marla Rose

TRANSCRIPT: EPISODE 4

 

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