Tag Archives: Feminism

What’s that Dirty “V” Word?

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Women dressed in vagina costumes wave banners that read: "VAGINA" and "I heart Vaginas"

Vegans and vaginas, yes, there is an important connection. Hang with me here…

A colleague of mine mentioned to me that she would be using “the V word” in an essay she was working on and was worried about the push back she expected to receive. A little confused, I responded asking if she meant “vagina” or “vegan.”  Honestly, given the stigmatization of both words, I had no idea which she meant.  And I must not be the only one. When I conducted an image search for “the V word” to illustrate this essay, most of the results are pictures of feminists and vegan food.

I see news items from time to time in the feminist media chastising this or that organization for censoring the word “vagina.”  I also hear a lot of talk in the Nonhuman Animal rights movement about moving away from the word “vegan” in favor of “vegetarian,” “veg,” “veg*n,” “plant-based,” “meat-free,” etc.

I’m wondering what exactly is so off-putting about vaginas and veganism.  Why have these words become so stigmatized that they are often censored?  What are we trying to hide?  Who are we trying to silence?

VAGINAS: Many women have them; patriarchy wants to control them.*

VEGANS: Many activists are them; anthroparchy wants to control them.

I think the common factor between vaginas and vegans is that being loud and proud about them means posing a direct challenge to oppressive social structures.

But, if feminists wouldn’t dream of telling women to shut up about their vaginas, then why do professionalized welfare organizations tell people to shut up about their veganism?

Vegan campaigners hold signs at a demo

Being a woman shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of, neither should being a vegan.  Hiding these terms and identities away as if they’re dirty no-nos only serves to protect structural oppression. The strategy of silence does little to liberate.  It will not be possible to make any headway as long as women, men, and the media are uncomfortable using the word “vagina.” The same holds true for vegans and Nonhuman Animal rights/welfare organizations that are uncomfortable using the word “vegan.”

*This essay is meant to be trans-inclusive. Not all women have vaginas, and some men have vaginas.

Corey Lee WrennDr. Wrenn is Lecturer of Sociology. She received her Ph.D. in Sociology with Colorado State University in 2016. She received her M.S. in Sociology in 2008 and her B.A. in Political Science in 2005, both from Virginia Tech. She was awarded Exemplary Diversity Scholar, 2016 by the University of Michigan’s National Center for Institutional Diversity. She served as council member with the American Sociological Association’s Animals & Society section (2013-2016) and was elected Chair in 2018. She serves as Book Review Editor to Society & Animals and has contributed to the Human-Animal Studies Images and Cinema blogs for the Animals and Society Institute. She has been published in several peer-reviewed academic journals including the Journal of Gender Studies, Feminist Media Studies, Disability & Society, Food, Culture & Society, and Society & Animals. In July 2013, she founded the Vegan Feminist Network, an academic-activist project engaging intersectional social justice praxis. She is the author of A Rational Approach to Animal Rights: Extensions in Abolitionist Theory (Palgrave MacMillan 2016).

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Gender Inequity in the Animal Welfare Movement

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Jen here. I recently had the pleasure of meeting (through the Internet) a fascinating scholar by the name of Corey Wrenn. She wrote a paper entitled, “The Role of Professionalism Regarding Female Exploitation in the Nonhuman Animal Rights Movement,” published in The Journal of Gender Studies.

Ms. Wrenn makes one point that it not new- that some animal rights groups get their point across by exploiting women, specifically PETA, LUSH, Fish Love, and Animal Liberation Victoria (ALV).

But she makes a larger point that is the elephant in the room: Even though WOMEN make up the majority of those who support animal welfare, it is MEN who are in the leadership positions.

Does this sell our cause, or does it demean women and diminish our voice?

Indeed, the ASPCA, the Humane Society of the US, the Humane Association, the International Fund for Animal Welfare, the World Wildlife Fund, and many other groups are led by men and their top leadership is overwhelmingly male.

But it’s not men that are caring for animals. It’s not men who are lobbying for animals. It’s not men targeted with those emotion-laden commercials begging for money. It’s all about us then, baby.

So why are men running the show in this female-dominated arena? Why are we allowing them to market to us in a way that is demeaning? And does this gender inequity play into our inability to make meaningful changes in the animal welfare arena?

Recently I wrote a blog post where I said I wanted to work in the field of animal welfare. Many posted comments suggesting that I cut back on blogging and show my interest by volunteering for a rescue. Really? I scoop litter boxes every day. Why do I have to prove my worthiness to work in this field by scooping litter boxes for someone else? For free? Do you think Wayne Pacelle, when interviewing to lead the Humane Society, was asked how many litter boxes HE scooped to earn his stripes?

Personally, I’m thinking it’s time for a real change in the path this movement is taking. We need to phase out the Good Old Boy leadership. We need to stop the exploitation of women. Let’s change the face of this movement from the Crazy Cat Lady and clueless co-ed, who each need men to guide them, to that of the Old Crone, the elder who holds the wisdom of the ages.

Painting of an elderly woman wrapped in red.The Wise Crone respects Mother Earth and all of her creations

What do you think? Is Animal Welfare rife with sexism? Do you feel women are respected in the movement, or are we used as funders and cheap labor to promote a male agenda? What do YOU think should be the face of the movement?

 

By Jenny Threet

You can follow her on Twitter and on her blog, Rumpy Dog.

This post was originally published on  Rumpy Dog on July 8, 2013.