Following the Inauguration Day of Doom, we wanted to remind everyone that labeling yourself as a vegan is an act of dissent and disruption. A brief history of veganism and a call to everyone to support vegans that are ready to fight.

In This Episode

While we stand by our opinion that no one can take your V-card, and that you should be able to label yourself anyway that you want; we also wanted to talk about the fact that the word veganism was created in order to give those that believe animal exploitation is wrong a way to voice their dissent. Health veganism has taken some of the bite out of the label, and because of the mainstreaming of veganism, which is a good thing!, a lot of vegans are now distancing themselves from the politics of, well, being vegan.

Now more than ever we need to support each other in dismantling the systems of oppression around us. So we ask that if you wear the vegan label but are not comfortable being political about it, that you don’t put down others who are.

A Brief History on the Origin of the Word “Vegan”

500 BC+: “Shakahari” (plant eater) originates in ancient India, concept learned by Pythagoras in ancient Greece and spread as the idea of vegetarianism.

1944: Donald Watson, Elsie Shrigley and four other non-diary veetarians decide a shorter, easier word for non-dairy vegetarian is needed and come up with “vegan,” which is the beginning and the end of “vegetarian.”

1949: Leslie J Cross defined veganism as “[t]he principle of the emancipation of animals from exploitation by man”. This is later clarified as “to seek an end to the use of animals by man for food, commodities, work, hunting, vivisection, and by all other uses involving exploitation of animal life by man.”

1979: the Memorandum and Articles of Association updated the definition of veganism to what we commonly refer today, as: a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude—as far as is possible and practicable—all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose; and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment. In dietary terms it denotes the practice of dispensing with all products derived wholly or partly from animals.

Links and Information

News

* After 146 Years Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus to Shut Down (NPR)

* Dairy Industry Killed Off 500,000 Cows In Alleged Price-Fixing Scheme (Huffington Post)

* PETA Honoring Dan Donovan at Inagural Ball. Their event flyer here. Explanation of why this is so awful here.

* Leaked Footage From ‘A Dog’s Purpose’ Film Set Leads to Canceled Premiere (ABC News)

* We the People: public art for the inauguration and beyond (Kickstarter)

Resources for Episode

* History (The Vegan Society)

* History of vegetarianism (Wikipedia)

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In our annual collaborative episode with The Bearded Vegans, we discuss vegan activism in a post-Trump era: with all the bullshit going on, is it appropriate to still advocate for animals? We also discuss “identity politics” as something that is being portrayed negatively in the media.

In This Episode

The Princesses team up with The Bearded Vegans for what has become an annual tradition of collaborating on an episode. In this one, we discuss how are struggling to continue our animal and vegan activism in this frightening post-Trump era. Should we? Can we? And how do we do it without detracting from all the other social issues that have come screaming to the forefront of everyone’s minds?

Also discussed is the concept of identity politics and why it’s being portrayed as a negative thing.

Identity Politics: also called identitarian politics, refers to political positions based on the interests and perspectives of social groups with which people identify. (Wikipedia definition)

VWPA & TVB: putting out Trumpster fires for the greater good.

Links and Information

News

* Fucking awful PETA ad:

* Tilikum Dies at SeaWorld (VegNews)

Mentioned in this Episode

* The Hidden Cost of Patriarchy (Vimeo)

* Reactionary Democrats trash Bernie Sanders for challenging identity politics (Salon)

* ARZone Intersectionality Interview 18 – Sarah K. Woodcock (ARZone)

Our first ever episode from our new studio, aka “The Stood” in honor of Tracy and Heben at Another Round, is about Veganuary: if we think it’s a good or bad thing for the vegan movement.

In This Episode

We talk about Veganuary, the challenge to go vegan for the month of January, and whether we think it’s a good or bad thing. On one hand, limited time challenges are a great way for people to approach changes, like veganism, that may seem otherwise daunting. On the other hand, it seems potentially risky to attach veganism to things like resolutions, which are famously known to fail. We discuss these points, eating disorders, body/fat shaming, and much more as we work through our complicated, uncertain feelings about this event.

Links and Information

News

* Gizmodo Predicts the Tech-Based Future of Food (VegNews)

* Instacart’s Dairy-Free Searches Jump by 200 Percent (VegNews)

Today we’re discussing single issue campaigns and whether they are helpful or harmful, in both human and non-human animal contexts.

In This Episode

Inspired by a recent Bearded Vegans episode, the Princesses realized that we’ve never tackled the topic of single issue campaigns and whether or not they are hamful, helpful, or something else entirely.

We take a look at both human and non-human single issue campaigns to see where these can be very effective, and where they can be extremely hurtful. We talk about Black Lives Matter, Women’s Right to Vote, Gay Marriage, SeaWorld, anti-fur campaigns, beagles in animal testing, among other topics.

Towards the end, Nichole gives her three checkpoints to determine if a single issue campaign is a worthwhile campaign that is seeking to make real change while avoiding harming the movement that it’s part of:

* Is this issue supporting or even promoting further oppression of other animals/people?

* Is it at the expense or exclusion of other animals/people?

* Does it address the issues of the related system of oppression?

Links and Information

News

* German Minister Calls for Ban of Vegan “Meat” Labels (VegNews)

* Minnesota Residents Plan to Fight Big Dairy (VegNews)

* Hundreds of thousands face starvation and death in Africa in the growing crisis no one is talking about (Independent)

* Humans to Become Herbivores Like Newly Found Dinosaur (VegNews)

Last week, we talked about amazing organizations that you can donate to in order to fight the system. This week, we talk about low or no cost, accessible options for taking actions in 2017 to disrupt the establishment.

In This Episode

Senator Doug Erikson, a trump supporter, is promising to introduce new legislation that would punish protesting as a legal felony if it causes economic disruption and hurts corporate profits. An extension of the same legislation that was once used to criminalize environmentalists and eco-terrorists, the proposed “Preventing Economic Terrorism Act” could be leveraged against a wide range of social activism, including anti-Trump protests.

Ericksen also says that the bill won’t be limited to protesters. It will include those who “fund, organize, sponsor or otherwise encourage others to commit acts of economic terrorism.”

Shit is getting real so we need to get real right back!

Accessible Actions that You Can Take Today

* Make Phone Calls: phone calls are shockingly effective. (More information will be added here shortly, including links to resources & scripts)

* Organized Boycotts: boycotting individual products is powerful, but even more powerful is when we all come together to boycott corporations and even states or cities. Shaun King has organized an Injustice Boycott that seeks to disrupt systems of oppression by targeting specific areas and companies that are implicit in the most harmful injustices we are facing today. MLK did this with the bus boycotts in the 50s for 381 days. This year we saw people, celebrities, corporations, organizations boycott the entire state of North Carolina for their anti-LGBTQ legislation. This can be done and it does work!

* Get Informed: learn the truth behind stories that you hear. If something sounds outlandish, do some research. Often the stories that we are sold are a dramatized, distorted version of the truth, meant to keep us from digging deeper and making assumptions about others.

* Inform your friends, family, coworkers, etc. with the knowledge you have. Have talks with those immediately around you. Don’t stay silent when moments present themselves to reinforce your ethics or spread information.

* Get plugged in: find groups who organize events in your area and show up to rallies/demonstrations when/if you can. Facebook is a great resource for this. Connect with people who are leading these organizations to learn how you can help if you are a person of privilege in a way that doesn’t put others in danger or take focus away from the people in the effected commmunity.

* Consume alternative media: “alternative” meaning non-corporate. We like Al Jazeera, Watchdog.org, Democracy Now! and The Young Turks. There are many articles out there that recommend non-corporate news sources, you can start with this one by Occupy.com.

* Learn the truth: learn the actual truth behind the headlines. Consult multiple news sources. Don’t give into the memes!

* Spread the truth: on social media, and join in on targeted social media campaigns.

* Use your platform to signal boost voices of the marginalized and/or spread information – teachers, podcasters, bloggers, even CEOs can do this.

* Learn to be a good, safe ally. Speak up when you see/hear things, but make sure to do so in a safe way.

We have a couple last minute gift ideas in today’s show, and then we switch the focus to several amazing charities that you can donate to in order to help fight the patriarchy and white supremacy in the coming year.

In This Episode

Nichole gives an update on Zarna Joshi and her sexual harassment video that went viral, thanks to listener Adam. We then give a couple last minute gift ideas, and then spend a lot of time talking about some kickass charities that are fighting white supremacy and the patriarchy who could use your donations in leiu of gifts this year, or just whatever you can spare. We give a couple tips for ways you can use the gift cards and money that you may get from friends and family to help others.

Given the atmosphere right now, we didn’t feel comfortable doing a chipper gift guide this year, but our guide from last year is still relevant and full of good ideas, if you are scrambling for a last minute gift that’s in line with your ethics, or to request from your loved ones.

Last minute gift ideas

* Reset and Restore Program by Lacy Davis and Jessica Wilkins: get back to intuitive eating after the holidays. Geared towards those with disordered eating. NOT A DIET. Use code “riotsnotdiets” to get 10% off! Starts January 2.

* Santa’s First Vegan Christmas by Robin Raven: a cute kid’s book that tells the tale of Santa and Dana, the little reindeer who teaches Santa about having compassion towards animals.

List of charities

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

An organization that works to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States for the past 100 years. Per the ACLU: “If Donald Trump violates civil liberties, we will fight back. Join us.”

Planned Parenthood

Donate before December 31 and your donation will be doubled! Planned Parenthood delivers vital reproductive health care, sex education, and information to millions of women, men, and young people worldwide who would otherwise not have access to it.

Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC)

Since the election the SPLC have been tracking & recording “bias related incidents” to provide a “hate map” of the United States.

The SPLC is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy, the SPLC works toward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a reality.

Standing Rock = Fight the Dakota Access Pipe Line

The fight isn’t over yet, please continue to read, share and donate if possible! The link above is to a wonderful article on Huffington Post that lists several ways to support the water protectors as they continue their fight.

The Humane League

Recommended as a top charity on Animal Charity Evaluators, The Humane League uses a multi-pronged to animal activism: grassroots education at high schools and colleges to help the youth go vegan and be aware of vegan issues, while also focusing on corporate campaigns to try to make things better for farmed animals now.

Westworld has the masses talking, and for good reason. Beyond being visually stunning, the show raises a lot of questions about sentience, morality, pain, and many other themes that could easily be applied to veganism. The Princesses explore these themes in today’s spoiler-free episode!

In This Episode

Nichole and Callie were riveted by HBO’s newest show, Westworld. The show is tense, mysterious, and unsettling. It raises many questions about the morality around creating and exploiting artificial intelligence to satisfy our baser urges; questions which can easily be applied to veganism. The girls keep it spoiler-free for anyone who hasn’t seen the show, so don’t be afraid to listen if you haven’t gotten on the Westworld train yet!

To quote AV Club’s Zack Handlen, Westworld’s premise can be summarized as: asking questions about what makes us human while slowly building towards terrifying chaos.

Among the themes discussed in today’s episode:

* The idea that humans need an outlet to be vile; that this is part of our nature and should be indulged

* Why we would rather try to circumvent arguments to immorality rather than give up the immoral behavior altogether

* Seeing non-humans, and thus their pain and emotions, as “not real”

* The idea of caring for a being that you know will be slaughtered/abused

* Do we really “own” the lives we create?

“We build copies of ourselves largely so we can be terrible to them without moral consequence.” Zack Handlen, in AV Club recap of episode 1.

Links and Information

News

* England Considers Making Its Cash Vegan (VegNews)

* Scurvy Makes a Comeback in Australia (VegNews)

* Lung Cancer Higher in Slaughterhouse Workers (VegNews)

* Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Greenlights Veganism (VegNews)

* Last Fur Farm Closes in Japan (VegNews)

Mentioned in the Show

* AV Club Westworld Recap of Episode One: highly quotable

* EW Recap of Episode One: extremely thorough with links to additional resources, like interviews with actors from the show

* Episode of Elementary involving artificial intelligence

Today we celebrate our 100th episode with our favorite clips from our episode catalog!

In This Episode

Callie and Nichole pull their favorite clips from past episodes to celebrate their 100th episode! Much laughter and hilarity ensue, a perfect way to commemorate this exciting milestone for VWPA!

Clips:

* “The Beginning” – the intro to our very first episode (from: Episode 1)

* “Chips and Salsa” – sometimes you just gotta order those fucking chips (from: Episode 3)

* “The Mashed Potato Incident” – just a vegan ruining Christmas (from: Episode 2)

* “Pussy Strong” – they have babies and stuff! (from: Episode 4)

* “Rhino Horns” – Callie loses her shit in an epic way (from: Episode 19)

* “Star Wars” – do NOT try to fool around with Nichole while she’s watching a movie! (from: Episode 23)

* “Oracle” – Nichole is very wise, it’s official (from: Episode 28)

* “The Apocalypse” – Nichole lists her apocalypse survival skills; Callie is not impressed (from: Episode 38)

Inspired by a discussion thread in the VWPA Society, the Princesses discuss if we should practice compassion for non-vegans. A surprisingly in-depth conversation that led us to some unexpected conclusions!

In This Episode

A listener posted this question to our VWPA Society group on Facebook:

I’ve been struggling with this idea that we vegans should be “compassionate” to non-vegans. I’ve seen people mock vegans, send us pictures of meat/dairy, and just be flat out rude and defensive and I have to be honest, it’s difficult for me to have compassion for these people. I also know people who know the facts but refuse to go vegan just because they like the taste of animal products. I don’t like to be rude to people but I see no point in having compassion for someone who isn’t a victim but in fact a perpetrator and doesn’t even treat me with compassion. Idk, do you guys still have compassion for people like the ones I’ve described?

Callie and Nichole were very drawn to this question, this idea of compassion for non-vegans. On one hand, we both believe that a lot more compassion could make this world a better place. On the other hand, we see compassion sometimes being used as code for “avoid making people uncomfortable.”

In an interesting conversation that surprised even us, we really dig into the concept of compassion, what it really means, and if we feel like we “should” have it for others who are still participating in systems of violence and oppression.

Links and Information

News

* Quartz: Vegan Movement is Winning (VegNews)

Since we are heading into holiday season: we briefly recap our top tips for surviving these trying times, then talk about reasons to consider not celebrating Thanksgiving, and finally present some ways you can protest this fucking bullshit capitalist system we live in.

In This Episode

A mixed bag episode, the Princesses kick it off by doing a high-level recap of our favorite holiday survival tips to get through the waking nightmare that is a non-vegan Thanksgiving.

Then we broach the idea of protesting the bloody history of our country by refusing to participate in Thanksgiving. You know, light stuff. Thanksgiving itself was a holiday established to celebrate the brutal massacre of a Pequot village:

“I learned that in 1637 the body of a white man was discovered dead in a boat. Armed settlers — which we tell our children were God fearing, gentle, sharing, kind Pilgrims — invaded a Pequot village. They also set the village, which included many children, on fire. Those who were lucky enough to escape the fire were systematically sought, hunted down and killed. While many, including historians, still debate what exactly happened this day, also known as the Pequot Massacre, it directly led to the creation of “Thanksgiving Day.” This is what the governor of Bay Colony had to say days after the massacre, “A day of thanksgiving. Thanking God that they had eliminated over 700 men, women and children.”

(quote taken from this article, referenced below).

Finally, we finish off by listing some ideas for holiday season protest: boycott Black Friday & Cyber Monday, don’t buy gifts or limit them, shop locally, bring awareness to the Thanksgiving celebrations that you attend.

Links and Information

News

* Vegan Products to Grow by 11 Percent Annually (VegNews)

* Too Faced Acquired by Estée Lauder for $1.45 Billion (VegNews)

* Bipartisan Bill Launched to Ban Wild Animal Circuses (VegNews)

Information on Thanksgiving

* Happy National Genocide (Thanksgiving) Day! (Huffington Post): “While many, including historians, still debate what exactly happened this day, also known as the Pequot Massacre, it directly led to the creation of “Thanksgiving Day.”

* Thanksgiving ‑ A Day of Mourning (Rights Matter): an excellent brief history of Thanksgiving’s bloody, horrific origins.

* National Day of Mourning (United American Indians of New England): information about the Thanksgiving day demonstration at Plymouth Rock, and how you can support it.