Being vegan is easy. Are there social pressures that encourage you to continue to eat, wear, and use animal products? Of course there are. But in a patriarchal, racist, homophobic, and ableist society, there are social pressures to participate and engage in sexism, racism, homophobia, and ableism. At some point, you have to decide who you are and what matters morally to you. And once you decide that you regard victimizing vulnerable nonhumans is not morally acceptable, it is easy to go and stay vegan
Gary L. FrancioneI maintain that we ought to abolish the institution and stop causing or facilitating the existence of more 'companion' animals.
Gary L. FrancioneTo say that a being who is sentient has no interest in continuing to live is like saying that a being with eyes has no interest in continuing to see. Deathโhowever โhumaneโโis a harm for humans and nonhumans alike.
Gary L. FrancioneVegetarianism as a moral position is no more coherent than saying that you think it morally wrong to eat meat from a spotted cow but not morally wrong to eat meat from a non-spotted cow.
Gary L. FrancioneThe theory of animal rights simply is not consistent with the theory of animal welfare... Animal rights means dramatic social changes for humans and non-humans alike; if our bourgeois values prevent us from accepting those changes, then we have no right to call ourselves advocates of animal rights.
Gary L. Francione