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I’m Considering “Anti-Speciesism” as My Main Tool for Helping Animals
Here are some reasons it may feel easier than advocating veganism
I was not named Phoenix at birth. My original name was a traditionally male one, and as I grew up, the very utterance of it made me resistant. Finding the name Phoenix was very liberating. Now I had a name I liked the sound of. It was gender-flexible, and it worked with my natural tendency to be transfeminine.
Except what does my name change have to do with “anti-speciesism?” Well, just as I have always been who I am, humans have always cared about animals. We’ve wanted to care about them when we could, at least!
Yet, finding the words to express this part of ourselves, this compassion for animals—and, more importantly, the moral worth of animals themselves—is another story.
The best words don’t often come overnight. We have to try on different names and see what fits.
In this post, I will share some recent reflecting I have been doing on the term “anti-speciesism,” and how it compares with “veganism.” I am excited about anti-speciesism lately. It seems like an easier, more effective way for me to advocate for all animals.
