15 Intersectional Vegan People & Projects to Support
Since I took yesterday to ramble on about the importance of a supportive audience for T.O.F.U., I thought it might be a good idea to write today about the need to not only support this magazine, but to support all those out there who are creating intersectional and crucial content within both the animal rights/vegan community and other important areas of activism.
Although I’ve highlighted many of these people/projects previously, both in a video on YouTube and past posts on this blog, I don’t think it will hurt to drop names again, right? Thus, in no certain order, here are some great folks that deserve your attention and maybe even your financial support, if possible.
Dr. A. Breeze Harper
The Sistah Vegan Project
If you’re not already familiar with the work of Dr. Harper thanks to the interview in issue 6 or her many accomplishments in academia, publishing, and general awesomeness, then I suggest taking the time to watch the video above to understand just how incredible she is.
Jo-Anne McArthur
We Animals | Unbound Project
Another amazing person that was interviewed in a past issue of T.O.F.U., Jo-Anne has continued to do great work in support of animals and the groups that fight for them, and I’m still constantly amazed at how she manages to do it all. Even if you didn’t read the interview in issue 5, chances are you’ve seen at least a few of her striking photos in use for a campaign somewhere around the world. Thankfully, with her second photo book in the works and numerous other projects (check out the Unbound Project for even more amazing activists!) underway, you’re sure to be seeing a lot more of her crucial work soon!
Website | Facebook | Patreon | Unbound Project
Aph Ko
Black Vegans Rock | Aphro-ism
Known initially for her creation of the 100 Black Vegans to Check Out list, Aph Ko has been involved with a number of important projects that discuss the intersection of veganism with things such as racism, privilege, and more. From continuing the idea of the list by creating Black Vegans Rock to discussing black feminist thought and critical analysis with her sister on their site Aphro-ism (soon to be published as a book), Aph is an incredibly intelligent activist who understands that true change is going to take a lot of work.
Website | Aphro-ism | Black Vegans Rock
Driftwood Magazine
It should be no secret that I love the people behind this vegan travel magazine out of Portland, Oregon, USA, and it’s not just because we’ve ranted and rambled to each other about publishing, donuts, and more ever since they successfully ran a Kickstarter to get the whole thing off the ground. The team behind this beautiful magazine is passionate about what they do, and their publication of a magazine that considers veganism as the baseline helps to shift the conversation away from recipes and instagram filters to something more substantial.
Food Empowerment Project
Chocolate. It’s probably my one serious vice, and I don’t have any major issues with it being so. Of course, thanks to the work of lauren Ornelas and a number of volunteers (including those of the recent Washington chapter!), I’m now able to determine whether or not the chocolate I purchase is truly cruelty-free. Along with their chocolate list, Food Empowerment Project focuses on plenty of other issues related to food, and even holds an annual school supply drive for migrant farm workers’ children to ensure they have a better chance of receiving an education. Basically, FEP goes beyond the animals and the plate, and the world is a better place because of it. Due to that, I was proud to announce them as a T.O.F.U. Grant recipient, and I hope you’ll consider showing them support as well.
Project Intersect
During The Wild T.O.F.U. Tour, I was lucky enough to get a table at the third annual Resistance Ecology Conference in Portland, Oregon, USA, and the weekend I spent at the conference turned out to be a highlight of the whole North American tour. Not only did I get to hear great talks from lauren Ornelas, Dylan Powell, and plenty of other amazing activists, I also shared a space with people creating amazing things in the name of fighting oppression. One of those people just happened to be Jacqueline Adamescu, the founder of Project Intersect. At the time, the zine was just getting started, but Jacqueline has since released three issues, and offered her intersectional and critical insight on panels, blog posts, and more. With a focus on anti-imperialist, anti-capitalist, and anti-speciesist work, Project Intersect is just the kind of publication we need, and I recommend getting your hands on a copy as soon as possible.
A Privileged Vegan
Although I’ve only recently begun dipping my toes into the murky waters of vegan YouTubing, A Privileged Vegan was one of the first channels I came across that seemed to have an interest in a lot of the same topics that T.O.F.U. has covered over the years. More importantly, she’s been building a following by providing educational and insightful content instead of trashing other vloggers and feeding off of drama, which seems to be the default setting in that community. So, if you’re partial to listening to critical analysis of issues related to veganism instead of reading about them on a blog, head to A Privileged Vegan’s channel and start digging through all she has to offer.
Emily von Euw
This Rawsome Vegan Life
Over the last couple of years, Katie has made it no secret that she’s a fan of Emily von Euw’s cookbooks, but one thing neither of us have really blogged about is how great it is that their creator also offers intersectional commentary and content while sharing amazing recipes and pictures across their social media platforms. From tackling fat shaming to questioning gender, Emily has found a way to present some difficult issues to a large audience while also ensuring they get what they came for. Their Instagram is like a vegan bake sale that just happens to include pamphlets on self-care, lgbtq2sia issues, and more tucked in neatly with the recipe card. Personally, I think it’s brilliant, and I wish I had thought of it. Of course, that would mean I would have to make food as good as they do, and I’m a long way from that! So, be sure to check out Emily’s recipes, and send them some love for including a dash of intersectionality in the mix. Before you do that though, I recommend you watch the chat that they had with The Viet Vegan about some important issues.
Website | Facebook | Instagram
xclusivx Zine
It’s been at least a couple of years since Kat somehow found me and asked if I would be a part of one of the issues of the lovely vegan straightedge magazine she publishes with a team based in Germany, and I’m happy to say that since that time they’ve only gotten better and better at what they do. Sadly, I didn’t really know this until I was last home since I had the physical copies of their zine sent to my parents’ place for storage. Trust me when I say the publication looks great, and it should be no surprise that they typically sell out of each issue. Basically, if you’re interested, get in touch with them now!
Vegan Warrior Princesses Attack!
I suspect the first time I heard about VWPA was due to their chatting with the lovely folks behind Driftwood Magazine, and since then I’ve seen the name pop-up in numerous other places as well. From their interview with A Privileged Vegan to Nichole’s involvement with the upcoming eleventh issue on chronic illness and declining health as a vegan, these two are often talking about tough issues and I recommend you give them a listen!
Jenny Marie
Big Fat Vegan Zine
I believe I first heard about Jenny through her call for submissions for her Big Fat Vegan Zine project, but it wasn’t until I started my travels in Europe that I was able to really connect with her while spending time in Manchester, England. Although the zine is currently on the back burner due to Jenny having a number of other things on her plate, she still manages to share plenty of information online in regard to body image, fat shaming, and veganism. In fact, one of her recent pieces on being a bad, vegan fatty that she published on Medium received plenty of attention, and will now be re-published by Femsplain. Needless to say, Jenny is doing great things in relation to a number of issues that don’t get enough attention. In my books, that’s the kind of activist that should be supported, and I hope you agree!
Carol J. Adams
Sexual Politics of Meat
When it came time to focus on the issue of sexism within the animal rights and vegan community for issue 8, I knew the interview had to be with Carol J. Adams. As the author of The Sexual Politics of Meat, a book which shed light on the relation between sexism, feminism, and veganism, whether or not to include her wasn’t even a question. Of course, finding the time for the interview to happen proved difficult, and the issue’s release was delayed. However, when the finished piece finally ended up in my inbox, it was obvious I had made the right decision, and the piece still stands as one of my favourite interviews to date. Point being, if you haven’t read The Sexual Politics of Meat yet, please do. From there, I suspect you’ll have all the reasons you need to support Carol’s work.
Cursed Arrows
Although the duo of Ryan and Jack E Stanley have taken a few musical shapes over the years, I first came to know them as Cursed Arrows while living in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and I was lucky enough to have them involved with T.O.F.U. on numerous levels. From playing a set during the 2011 T.O.F.U. Tour to taking part in an interview for issue 4, they’ve been kind enough to support my creative endeavours. Now, I’m hopeful that you’ll take the time to check out their music and encourage them to continue to be activists through their art.
Amanda Rogers
“Wanna spend a month and a half in a van with some strangers as we travel across Canada and the United States?”
For most people, this question would be quickly followed by a firm “no”, but Amanda Rogers is not most people. Although I’m not sure which one of us it was that posed the original question, the fact that we both agreed to do it was the start of a beautiful friendship that has seen us working together on several issues of the magazine, at least one other tour, and countless other things over the years. Along with working together, Amanda has been an activist, vegan, and artist on her own for years, and she’s brought her views on capitalism, animal rights, beauty standards, and more to venues in Canada, Europe, and the United States while continuing to independently release album after album. Her last endeavour, Wild, was included as part of a digital bundle with issue 8, and I’m happy to say that a number of readers chose to support both Amanda and myself through that option. Now, with another album in the works, I’m hopeful you’ll continue to support this wonderful person that I jumped into a van with near the border so many years ago.
Website | BandCamp | Facebook | YouTube
Propagandhi
If you’re a vegan activist, and you’re over 25 or so, it’s hard to believe you haven’t come across this band at some point. Hell, one of the reasons I moved to Winnipeg was because I knew the now defunct label, G7 Welcoming Committee was based there, and if that city had a music/activist scene that gave birth to such an influential label, then I wanted to be there. Okay, maybe the fact that Winnipeg also had great vegan options such as Mondragon helped too, but I can’t downplay the influence that Propagnadhi and its members had on me as I was figuring out just what I wanted to do as a vegan activist. So, it should come as no surprise that their bassist, Todd Kowalski, was one of the first (and subsequently one of the only) interviews I did for the magazine. Since then, the band has continued to release intelligent and hard hitting music while also refusing to shy away from talking about issues related to animal rights, veganism, refugees, sexism, and more. If you’re not already a fan, then do yourself a favour and check them out. Even if the music isn’t your cup of tea, the lyrics of pretty much any song are guaranteed to educate you more than most political science courses ever will.
Discussion Groups/Blogs to Follow
Finally, although I’ll probably write more later about resources to help you learn about intersectional issues, I thought it might be good to include a few here just in case all of the wonderful people above have inspired you to try and do more yourself. These pages have been a great deal of help to me, and plenty of the links I’ve posted on social media have come from them. On a related note, if you’re interested in seeing more of what I think is important, please check out T.O.F.U.’s tumblr page.
Striving With Systems | Vegan Feminist Network | Disrupt Ableism | Intersectional Vegans of the World
Pingback: 713,867 Steps to Being An Intersectional Activist | T.O.F.U. Magazine