Social Justice Is Not

Social justice is not social justice if it doesn’t include non-human animals.

As a queer disabled woman, I’m often dehumanised, but I refuse to buy into the human/animal hierarchy that contributes to that dehumanisation. (I will never use the words ‘animal’, ‘creature’, or ‘monster’ to denigrate. They will always be compliments).

You can’t abhor genocide but support the torture and murder of billions of non-human animals just because you enjoy eating their corpse, drinking their milk, or eating their eggs.

Well, you can, and do. Humans contort themselves to justify violence, but there is no such thing as ethical meat (if I raised a human in a decent environment with a semblance of freedom then killed them so I could eat their flesh, is that ethical?). If you eat corpse, at least be honest; don’t hide behind words.

“There are words that cover up the world.” – Agustina Bazterrica, Tender is the Flesh

Non-human animals are not ‘farm animals’ or ‘livestock’.

Non-human animals do not exist for us. We have no right to their bodies.

It’s four years since Imagine a Country was published and I was pleased to have my piece included, where I imagined Scotland as a country that no longer supports the subjugation and abuse of non-human animals in our food system. Our society is built on the exploitation, torture and murder of non-human animals and it doesn’t need to be that way. My piece looks to a future where Scotland is a sanctuary for non-human animals and I dedicated it to Tribe Animal Sanctuary Scotland (TASS), a wonderful haven for so-called ‘farm animals’ and ‘livestock’, where they can live their lives happy and cared for, safe from us. You can donate and book a visit to see the work they do and spend time with the non-human animals they protect.

TASS shouldn’t have to exist. Everywhere should be sanctuary. You can make this happen by refusing to support a violent, brutal system that we somehow accept as a norm. Yes, this is ideology, yes this is political, but so is the status quo you support; the status quo is not neutral. No, vegans are not better people; it is not about us and never should be (if we’re assholes, don’t stand for it, but don’t make non-human animals suffer for our flaws). People who care about non-human animals are not sentimental, cranks, or extreme. What’s extreme is the pure horror that you have the power to help end.

^{Imagine A Country: extract from my essay ‘Sanctuary’}

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No straw men and no whataboutery, please. I’ve been vegie since I was 7 and was subjected to abuse from both my peers and adults for years; I’ve heard it all. It shouldn’t be “But what about”. It should be: “and”. Always “and”. No, I don’t hate farmers or want them to lose their livelihood. Yes, our food systems in general need overhauled, and yes I very much care about the humans caught up in these systems too, but ignoring the suffering of non-human animals because there’s so much more to be done is absurd.

As a disabled person who’s allergic to many of the things veggies and vegans eat, I’m very aware not everyone can “just go vegan”; please ignore the self-righteous who think it’s some sort of purity test – do the best you can given your circumstances.

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