Vegan Warrior Princesses Attack!

Let’s talk about sex, baby! With our advice, you’ll be doin’ it and doin’ it and doin’ it well….and safely! The princesses talk safe sex and birth control options for vegans.

In This Episode

Nichole and Callie discuss birth control and safe sex options for vegans: what is, what’s not, what resources are available, as well as giving tips for having safe, healthy consensual sex.

Asexuality

Before we dig in, we want to acknowledge asexuality. An asexual person is someone who does not experience sexual attraction. Unlike celibacy, which people choose, asexuality is an intrinsic part of who someone is, like any other sexual orientation. There is considerable diversity among the asexual community; each asexual person experiences things like relationships, attraction, and arousal somewhat differently. Some like physical affection like kissing and snuggling, some don’t. Some are aromantic, some desire romantic relationships that simply don’t include sex. Asexuality is just as valid, complex and varied as any other sexual orientation.

If you’d like to find out more, Asexuality.org is a great resource.

Intersectionality Disclaimer

The discussion of hormonal birth control and pregnancy prevention will be cisgendered and hetero-centric. For this part of the discussion, man means the person with the penis, woman means the person with the vagina and uterus. If there is a better way to for us to speak of these things that’s more inclusive, please let us know. We didn’t know how to word it better, but we absolutely acknowledge that sex that could lead to pregnancy could be happening between two people who don’t strictly identify as man and/or woman.

The rest of the advice was structured to be for anyone, of any gender identity or sexual orientation. If we get something wrong, let us know, but we definitely made this in mind of speaking about sex generally, not just for heteronormative or monogamous sex.

Hormonal Birth Control

Most brands of birth control pills and hormonal IUDs contain lactose, a milk by-product. There are some that do not, but they change often, so do an internet search or talk to your doctor to get one that is lactose-free.

The shot, the ring and the patch do not contain animal products (Depo-provera, NuvaRing, Ortho-Evra)

All hormonal birth control is tested on animals, and we excrete these hormones in our urine which filters out into the water system and has an adverse effect on marine life.

Non-Hormonal Birth Control

Copper IUDs do not contain animal products but ARE tested on animals.

Certain barrier methods are available: the FemCap (a cervical cap), and diaphragms are available vegan. Be aware that diaphragms must be sized by a doctor, and both barrier methods require the use of spermacide, which can be purchased vegan as well (ContraGel is one). Sponges are another option that is available vegan. All of these methods require pre-planning, making spontaneous sex a bit difficult, but are all valid options.

Natural methods rock but require a lot of dedication and communication between partners in long-term relationships. For those who participate in casual sex, there is a limited window of time each month during which sex will not result in pregnancy, requiring either abstinence the rest of the month or relying on condoms or other barrier methods for the other portion of the month. Lady Comp and Cyclotest are a great but expensive help with this, the book Taking Charge of Your Fertility is a great resource.

Sterility is a good permanent option for those who know they never want kids or don’t want anymore, but will require (in most cases) the use of medication that has animal pr...

With (made-up, irrelevant holiday) Valentine’s Day coming up we figured it be a good time to do a dating tips episode! The Warrior Princesses give their top 5 tips for dating as a vegan in this non-vegan world. Plus, a rant about sexism – so romantic!

In This Episode

After ranting about the horrific news over the last week for women/feminism, including pro-rape rallies, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) creating a victim-blame-y infographic, and the resurgence of “heganism” (that’s veganism, now for men!), the girls launch into their favorite dating tips for vegans on the prowl:

#5 Know What and Who You Want, Communicate Accordingly

Figure out what you need and want as a vegan when it comes to relationships and dating: are you ok with animal products in your house? On a date? Would you pay for a non-vegan meal? Eat at a non-vegan restaurant? Date a non-vegan?

Once you know where you lines are, communicate them clearly. Online dating makes this easy – put what you’re looking for in your profile! If you are not online dating, make sure to bring these things up as they are relevant but early on. Let the other person choose what is ok for them, too. The right person will meet you where you’re at.

It’s ok for these needs to change over time. It may take actually experiencing some things before you realize you’re not ok with them, or as you get further along your vegan journey, you might notice shifts in your limits. Always be checking in with yourself, and then communicate any changes that come up.

If you decide you’ll only date vegans, it’s a great idea to take things offline and go try to meet people in real life. Go to vegan Meetups and events in your city/area, get to know people in your local community. Not all vegans will be online dating, so it’s nice to go physically see who’s out there. Plus, you might have fun and make some friends! Even if you are open to dating omnis, vegan events are a great place to meet vegan-friendly/curious omnis. The L.A. Vegan Street Festival last year was packed with ten of thousands of people, many of which were not vegan but were totally down for trying vegan food. If this is not an option for you, see if there are online vegan events you can join or participate in. Go on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, read blogs. Find vegan people you admire and then start interacting with their community. You never know when you’ll make a new friend, and the more people you know, the better!

#4 Figure out the Logistics to Suit Your Needs

Once you know what your limits are, figure out some safe dates that you can suggest or plan that meet your needs. If you feel obligated to pay for the date, be the one to suggest where to go. Pick out favorite vegan or vegan-friendly restaurants that are popular with omnivores. If you are a gluten-free vegan, make sure to know where you can eat and ask to go there. Plan juice, smoothie, or acai bowl dates in the morning or early afternoon, so that everything is naturally vegan and you don’t have to worry about what to order.

Also be open to planning/suggesting non-food dates for the first few. Hikes, movies, museums, local events can all be great ways to get to know someone without the pressure of food (or in some cases, even money!). Figure out what you like to do, what you would want to do with a potential partner, and plan dates around those things. That will give you easy insight into your compatibility as well as making sure you’re in a safe space while you two get to know each other.

#3 Be Confident!

Let your little vegan light shine, babies! Bask your dates in your glow – no, not that elusive “vegan” glow that everyone does juice cleanses ...

Grab some bath bombs and light some candles cause it’s our anniversary, girlllll! VWPA is one year old and we’re celebrating! We answer all your burning questions while drinking whiskey. Buckle-up, buttercup!

In This Episode

We laugh, drink, and answer questions:

* Who is the little girl in the intro?

* How/why did you pick the name “Vegan Warrior Princesses Attack”?

* Why did you start the show?

* Our vegan stories

* how do you record? What’s the setup, tech, etc.?

* Favorite connection made?

* Funniest moment on the podcast?

* What have you learned about yourself and each other through the show?

* Tacos, burritos or pizza?

* Any stories that foreshadowed your veganism?

* Big goals or dreams related to your activism or otherwise?

* Why are you two so funny, why can’t I stop listening?

* Our favorites, vegan or not, to addictively watch / listen to?

The Princesses team up with The Bearded Vegans to discuss whether we should share good content made by bad (or problematic) people. Things are getting beard at VWPA!

In This Episode

Nichole and Callie team up with Andy and Paul from The Bearded Vegans to talk about the ethics of sharing good content by people, or organizations, that do problematic things. Do you share Gary Yourofsky’s “Best Speech Ever” knowing that he’s a hateful misanthrope? Do you share a funny video by PETA, knowing that they fat shame and use women’s bodies to sell veganism?

Trickier still is when you know something about someone that isn’t necessarily public – do you pull down an interview, remove a promotional blog post, make it public?

It was a great conversation, full of laughs and insightful comments. There’s no easy answers, but there were some parameters established by the end of the show.

Favorite moment: when Paul dubbed Gary Yourofsky the “Trump of Veganism”

Links and Information

Related Links

PETA

* Episode 14: Why Nichole Hates PETA

* PETA to Detroit: Go Vegan for a Month, We’ll Pay Your Water Bill (NBC News)

* Oregon Militia Makes Plea for Snacks, PETA Responds With Yummy Vegan Jerky (Alternet)

DxE

* Slow Burn: The Internal Implosion of Direct Action Everywhere (EcoRazzi)

* It’s Not Intersectional, It’s DxE: An Exposé Written By DxE’s Victims (Dismantle DxE)

Food!

* The VeganEgg! Loved by Princesses, Hated by Beards

* The Vegan Zombie: Breakfast Sandwich Recipe

When speaking of the environmental impact of animal consumption, it’s easy to get lost or overwhelmed with the stats and numbers but miss the bigger picture. The girls walk through how to have these conversations without needing to sight specific numbers.

In This Episode

The girls wade through the facts around how animal consumption impacts the environment and make the connections so that you can have conversations with omnivores on this topic without getting lost in the endless statistics.

Pollution

Animal agriculture and it’s by-products are the #1 producer of greenhouse gas emissions. There are some conflicting statistics floating around out there as to what percentage – ranging from 18-51% – but all reports agree that animal agriculture is #1.

The discrepancy is because the initial report by the United Nations reportedly underestimated or didn’t account for livestock related factors like methane, respiration and land use, or they assigned those factors to other sectors incorrectly. A respected US thinktank, the Worldwatch Institute, published the higher estimate.

Cows produce 150 billion gallons of methane per day, roughly equal to the amount put out by the natural gas sector. Methane is far more destructive (25-100 times) than carbon dioxide on a 20 year timeframe. The good news is it dissipates more quickly than C02, so if we stopped producing it, the effects of it would heal relatively quickly

Land

Livestock covers 45% of the earth’s land mass. Think about that. Nearly half of all the land on earth is covered in animals raised for food.

Animal agriculture is responsible for 91% of rainforest destruction, for livestock and feed crops. So, whenever someone talks to you about rainforest devastation, let them know that that land is often cleared to raise animals to be eaten. And when it’s not? A tremendous amount of land is used for crops to feed livestock.

Livestock is the leading driver in land desertification – land that has lost all topsoil and fertility. Desertification is caused by mono crops grown to feed livestock and by livestock grazing.

Grassfed cows are not a sustainable option. It takes 2-20 acres to support one cow. They graze for longer, requiring massive land resources as well as producing more methane.

Oceans / Water

Fishing is absolutely devastating to our oceans.

¾ of the earth’s fisheries are exploited or depleted – we could see fishless oceans by 2048

About 2.7 trillion animals are pulled from the oceans every year – for every 1 pound of fish caught, there’s about 5 pounds of by-catch, a lot of which just dies or is discarded. For 1 pound of shrimp, it can be as much as 10 to 20 pounds of by-catch.

Fishing vessels, lines and nets are responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of sharks, whales, dolphins and seals every year

Animal agriculture makes up 80-90% of US water consumption. All the short showers and un-watered lawns can’t make a dent compared to our food choices.

Wildlife / Endangered Animals / Hunting

Government sanctioned hunting and eradication programs are largely to kill off predatory animals in an area who may, or may not, be killing livestock. So wolves, cheetahs, coyotes – killed to the point of endangerment in order to protect ranchers’ investment in their cattle, sheep and pigs.

Rainforest destruction for livestock and crops, kills over 100 species of animals, insects and plants each DAY.

Bottom line: animal agriculture is the leading cause of species extinction, ocean dead zones, water pollution, and habitat destruction.

Links and Information

News

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After both experiencing the wrath of Facebook in recent weeks, Nichole and Callie discuss fighting on social media – the frustrations, the doubts, the trolls.

In This Episode

Nichole recently got in a fight about sexism on her personal Facebook page; Callie was attacked by atheists when she tried to start a conversation about veganism in an atheist group. After their separate encounters, both girls worried about whether they were too “aggressive” “pushy” or “overreacting.”

This is a common phenomenon for people in the minority, any minority. When you try to fight for what is right, or speak your truth, the majority will rail against you, leaving you full of doubt about your right to have a voice.

There are no easy answers, but hopefully at least a lot of solidarity!

Links and Information

News

* FBI Now Tracking Animal Abuse (Huffington Post)

* First Vegan Butcher Shop to Open in Minneapolis January 23 (Star Tribune)

* 6 Ways to Cook with Nutritional Yeast—There’s More Than Just Popcorn (Bon Appetit)

* Cattle Ranchers Try Vegan Jerky and Love It (VegNews)

Mentioned in this Episode

Atheism Articles:

* New atheists must become new vegans: Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and the extra burden on moral leaders (Salon)

* Letter From The Rubble Of A Salon Article (Banter)

To kick off the new year, Callie and Nichole talk about veganism’s race problem – tackling this issue as two white people talking to other white people about why this is so harmful to the movement and how to help correct this problem.

In This Episode

After seeing countless Facebook posts where some vegans are trying to address the race problem that veganism has and seeing so many white people jumping in to claim that there is no problem, or that they’re entitled to use slavery as a comparison tool to get people to go vegan, or that they don’t like the exact wording or tone of the message, Nichole and Callie felt compelled to step in and take a stance as two white people who want to tell other white people to just stop it already.

Veganism is seen, by many, as a white thing. That is our (white people’s) fault. When we shut down voices in our community, we perpetuate the idea that veganism is only a safe space for those who look like us or those who are willing to remain silent while the rest of us do whatever the fuck we want. This is not ok. This movement needs everyone and, more importantly, this movement should be built on compassion and equality, not exclusion and maintenance of privilege. Don’t believe us? Read this article on Aphro-ism that shows what happens when someone tries to publish a list of black vegans. Spoiler alert: it ain’t good.

It’s uncomfortable to confront your privilege, of course. But our discomfort is so insignificant compared to the contributions to the movement that are being made, and overlooked, by people of color. People all over the world, from all walks of life, are a part of veganism and it is high time that they are equally represented and that their voices are not just heard, but valued.

The best way to help break this cycle of vegan white-washing is to expose yourself to vegans who look different from you and for fuck’s sake LISTEN TO THEM. Just listen. Absorb the message, don’t fight it. Don’t go on vegans of color’s pages or blogs and argue with them, don’t share their articles in your white vegan groups and pick apart why they’re wrong or not worded to your liking. Let go of your ego and see that embracing everyone and modifying your behavior will ultimately lead you to a happier life, deeper connections with your fellow vegans, and a movement that we can be proud of.

Usually we put links down below, but these three articles are extremely important to this topic:

* The [White Savior] Elephant in the Room: Ally Theater, Savior Complex, and Speaking for ‘The Other’ by Dr. Amie Harper and Christopher-Sebastian McJetters (The Sistah Vegan Project)

* Slavery: It’s Still a Thing by Christopher-Sebastian McJetters (Vegan Publishers)

* Veganism has a serious race problem by Clair Heuchan (Media Diversified)

Please read these, internalize the messages, and look inside yourselves to see ways in which you might be upholding “white veganism” and how you can work to change that. It’s not easy, but it is so necessary.

Also, please know that we are two white women with full-time corporate jobs who are working hard to constantly educate ourselves and become better allies. We may have said some things wrong here, and there are a million articles and people we probably should’ve referenced (or read!

For our first New Year’s episode, we interviewed the talents behind Our Hen House, Driftwood Magazine, Rise & Resist, and Miyoko’s Kitchen to see what cool things they did in 2015, and what they have coming up in 2016!

In This Episode

Callie and Nichole take a break from the usual format to interview some cool vegans who did cool stuff in 2015!

Our Hen House

The always hysterical and raucous ladies of Our Hen House were kind enough to agree to an amazing, hilarious and, at times, touching interview.

We talked to Jasmin Singer and Mariann Sullivan about their new podcast ventures in 2015. Jasmin has her own show, Teaching Jasmin How to Cook Vegan, where she “finally” learns to cook vegan food from a wide cast of vegan chefs, cookbook authors and kitchen savvy friends. The show is all about learning the absolute basics of cooking, perfect for vegans who usually rely on take out versus cooking in.

Mariann created the Animal Law podcast, a fascinating and much-needed show about the world of animal law. Mariann is a law professor and longtime activist, she gives news updates from around the world and interviews lawyers and activists on the frontlines of changing legislation to make the world safer for animals.

Coming up in 2016? Jasmin will be touring for her new book, Always Too Much and Never Enough, her memoir about her journey through food addiction to recovery, which is scheduled to release February 2, 2016. Callie and I will be at the February book signing on February 11 in L.A., come join us there!

Driftwood Magazine

Our buddy Holly Feral from Driftwood Magazine spoke to us about the trials and tribulations of creating and distributing an indie magazine, as well as the joys and triumphs. An inspiring interview for anyone interested in being an entrepreneur and particularly anyone curious about some of the behind-the-scenes of published media.

Driftwood Magazine is a stunning magazine, available in digital and print formats, that seeks to tell vegans what is possible by documenting what other vegans are doing around the world including vegan travel stories, profiles on interesting vegans from all countries, and breaking news from the global vegan community.

Holly is pushing to get Driftwood distribution to Canada for 2016, as well as all the exciting editions that will be published in the next year!

Rise & Resist

Lacy Davis and Holly Noll from the Rise & Resist podcast joined us to tell us about their journey beginning a vegan female powerlifting podcast in 2015, which we were so excited about because our shows totally have girl crushes on each other!

Lacy and Holly talked about lessons learned about starting a show as well as all the amazing benefits, in a fun and funny interview. The ladies of Rise & Resist never fail to make us laugh and make us think.

Lacy had a very exciting announcement for 2016: she’s hoping to open a feminist,

For our 50th episode, we did an amazing collaborative episode with Warren Leeds from Those Vegan Aussie Blokes. We have a lot of laughs while we discuss the importance of creating a kind and welcoming vegan community, and the danger of mean vegans to the movement.

In This Episode

Nichole and Callie were thrilled to connect with Warren Leeds from Those Vegan Aussie Blokes to be our special guest host on an important episode about the need for a safe, welcoming vegan community, and the dangers of “mean” vegans to new vegans or the veg-curious.

Warren has worked to create safe spaces for vegans and non-vegans alike on Facebook and YouTube after being disappointed and discouraged by the vegan police online. He realized that if their comments made him want to quit being a public figure, then they can certainly make other people want to quit seeking support, which could lead to them not being vegan anymore, or never becoming vegan in the first place. To combat this, Warren created a closed group on Facebook that he monitors very closely to make sure it stays a safe space for open, honest discussions, connection and building a supportive community.

Nichole and Callie discuss their experiences with this, and then Warren gives some recommendations for other safe spaces around the interwebs (see links below). In the end, all of us believe that this movement cannot progress without compassion and kindness for ALL, including each other!

You can follow Those Vegan Aussie Blokes on:

* Facebook

* YouTube

* Instagram

Links and Information

News

* The Mayo Wars Just Ended (Fortune)

* China Aids Anti-Poaching Effort with Equipment Donation (Ecorazzi)

* Prominent Scientists Sign Declaration that Animals have Conscious Awareness, Just Like Us (Gizmodo)

Talked About on the Show

Lettuce vs Bacon

* Example of misleading articles going around the web this week: Lettuce is ‘three times worse than bacon’ for emissions and vegetarian diets could be bad for environment (Independent)

* Lettuce, Bacon and the Environment: Some Thoughts for Vegan Activists (The Vegan RD)

* Dr. Garth talks about the original scientific article that all the news articles were based on (Facebook)

Recommended Friendly Vegan Communities

* The Vegan Zombie: hilarious YouTube channel with awesome vegan recipes, based on the premise that it’s after the apocalypse and the only people to stay not-undead are vegans (because they didn’t eat the tainted meat, of course!). In addition to cool recipes, you might also learn zombie survival skills!

Wanting others to enjoy and approve of our vegan food is natural, but the impulse is more harmful than helpful. By asking others to judge your veganism by it’s food, and how closely that food resembles it’s animal-product analog, you are essentially asking others to approve of your veganism.

In This Episode

After additional thoughts on their recent no kids episode, the girls dig into the idea that by making veganism look easy by doing a lot of work, or by trying to get everyone to see how good vegan food is, we essentially ask those around us to approve of our choice to be vegan. This undermines the fact that our veganism is usually a hard won decision, coming from a place of deep introspection, a decision made inside ourselves that doesn’t need an ok by the outside world.

As we’re in the midst of the holiday season, this topic is probably especially relevant. Having family coming to stay, we may feel emboldened to enforce our vegan boundaries within the safety of our own homes, but simultaneously feel compelled to over-accommodate our guests in order to prove that vegan food is sooooo good.

But this misses the bigger picture! Veganism is not valid based on how good the food is. Veganism is a moral choice, and even when it’s a health choice, it’s still a choice made outside of convenience or taste, a choice made on research and careful thought.

By trying to prove that there are no sacrifices or adjustments needed when someone goes vegan undermines the significance of deciding that veganism is the right decision regardless of any sacrifice. There are often sacrifices or consequences for our veganism, and by allowing everyone to put all the focus on the food, it’s dishonest representation. Pretty much everyone who goes vegan will feel it in their social life, even if the food aspect is never an issue. The beauty of making a decision that is right for you, is that once you make it, it doesn’t matter what the difficulties are – you are prepared and willing to navigate them as they come up because you have the strength of your convictions to see you through. You don’t need someone else to come in, after you’ve done the work, and approve or disapprove of your lifestyle based on one superficial aspect of it.

Links and Information

News

* U.S. Training Dogs to Sniff Out Smuggled Ivory and Rhino Horns (TreeHugger)

* Arnold Schwarzenegger Urges People to Stop Eating Meat to Save the Planet (Daily Mail)

* Missouri Republicans are Trying to Ban Food Stamp Recipients from Buying Steak and Seafood (Washington Post)

* Judge Clears Trader Joe’s of Soy Milk Mislabeling Charges (VegNews)