May 16th, 2013 by Kezia

Attention sophisticated thinking vegans: meet your new BFF, LAIKA. The recently debuted quarterly magazine has the glossy and stylish look and feel of a popular fashion mag – without the fur, leather, feathers, cosmetic cruelty, Kardashians, and other atrocities typically associated with chic lifestyle magazines. In addition to fashion, beauty, food, art, music, and travel, LAIKA delivers in-depth articles on animal activism, including people who are driven to make a difference.

Longtime activist Julie Gueraseva is LAIKA’s founder, creative and editorial director – its alpha female (though let’s also shout out to her twin and fellow activist, Stacy Gueraseva, whose work appears in the mag). Julie says the magazine as she envisioned it is “a clear assertion that a full, vibrant, exciting, interesting and satisfying life can be had – without ever having to inflict harm on another.” Like.

We spoke with Julie about the magazine and what it means for vegans.

First, congratulations on creating a brand-new title at a time when the media and publishing industry is at best struggling. What do you think the magazine accomplishes for veganism that is potentially different from and greater than other projects and campaigns you’ve been involved in, or that are currently available?

Thank you very much. Something like this is just one technique of many available at our disposal to help animals. This magazine, this whole endeavor, is completely, purely from the heart. It started as an idea, an ‘a-ha’ type of moment. And then it became kind of a ride that I was on, and there was no turning back. So I can’t really compare it to anything else that’s out there, or what’s come before. It’s totally rooted in the present moment, and completely driven by a desire to liberate animals, and to wake people up to compassion. And that’s all I can focus on. There is no other motive behind it.

This magazine is a culmination of all of my experience, I would say, as a designer who’s worked in different industries, observing things along the way; and as an activist and vegan, who’s learned some tactics in the past six years. And just as a human being, walking through life. It could’ve only happened now I think. A few years ago, I wasn’t ready to carry out something like this. But by the time I had art directed and designed multi-page publications from start to finish, I had the confidence to know a magazine like this was doable.

I suppose the magazine looks different, and has a different rhythm to it. It looks like a fashion magazine at first glance. But behind the style, there is much substance, which might catch someone off guard who picks it up who knows nothing about veganism or how animals are treated. It shakes up the traditional format.

LAIKA is ‘selling it’ with style and design, but you’re also covering harder-hitting subjects plus work from established journalists. Was this an intentional mission to expose readers to serious content inside a pretty package?

Yes. It was a strategic move and also an honest one. I wanted to pull people in with a “cool” visual vocabulary. But I also just really like good design, so it was a logical decision also. I was inspired to make a well-designed vegan magazine, with strong photography, illustration, etc. Based on what I’ve observed, a strong presentation does help people to absorb the message better. But yes, knowing what kind of world we function in, I wanted to employ the aesthetics people respond to in propelling a compassion forward. And yes, I did put some thought into the order of things…more fun stuff in the beginning, and then before you realize what’s happening, you’re reading about more serious things. But by that point, you’re already invested.

But what started as a strategy simply turned into a truthful reflection of the spirit of this movement, as I designed the magazine. There is such a sophistication of thought, ideas within this movement; there are so many truly fascinating people, who do interesting things. There’s all this innovation, frontiers being pushed. It’s an incredibly interesting movement. And it’s centered around animals, who themselves are amazing and mysterious, and so worthy of being portrayed in a dignified, intelligent way.

A lot of advertising and marketing out there is about distorting reality, creating a fantasy, exaggerating things, overselling the brand. And I realized nothing about veganism required overselling. I’ve always known the vegan lifestyle is a beautiful way to be. And I suppose if we think of it as a “brand” that we need to “sell” people on, then it deserves to be “packaged” in a compelling, beautiful way, because it is already that.

We are often critical of “capitalist solutions” to animal liberation – by which we mean the belief that if there were just more vegan products on store shelves, or enough vegan options on menus, we’ll bring about a vegan world. How does the magazine play in this intersection of consumerism and activism?

I’m not a big consumer myself. I’m not a fan of having a lot of “stuff.” If you look at the magazine, it’s actually quite light on product. I am most interested in innovation; I admire creativity. So I am definitely fascinated by products that fill a void, that offer an irresistible alternative and a paradigm shift. We need those types of products out there, because they can sometimes be a person’s first introduction to veganism. And those are the types of products I strive to showcase in the magazine.

But I am also incredibly fascinated by the bounty of our Mother Nature and how beautiful and versatile plant foods are before they are even converted to any type of product. So I would actually like to see humanity get to a place when don’t rely on so many products, and when we are able to find contentment in simpler things. I think maybe that would help us become calmer people in general, less stressed out, and more open to tapping into our empathy.

It’s a tricky thing because I can completely relate to the excitement of seeing a new vegan product on a grocery store shelf. But it’s a complicated thing functioning within the capitalist system, which is defined by greed and accumulation of wealth. I think the most important thing is that our hearts remain in the right place. As long as our new product developments are not driven by greed, ego and the pursuit of status, then having more vegan products on the shelves could very well be part of the solution. We just have to be mindful of who we are competing with. It’s not each other, it’s the animal exploitation industry that we are trying to put out of business. This one thing Darius Fullmer said in an interview always stuck with me. It was something like, “We don’t know what the key is that will open the lock to animal liberation, so our best bet is to do what feels right in our heart, that feels the most effective, and hopefully one of us is right.”

Sometimes I notice that when we get too fixated on discussing cool new products, we talk about animals less. So in the pursuit of the most awesome new vegan products, we just have to remember to continue to talk about animals as much as possible and as loudly as possible. Because their situation is still dire and desperate.

Someone picks up a copy of the magazine, and commits themselves to becoming more active for animals. Or maybe they’re motivated to turn their activism into a lifelong career. Give them your best advice.

Well, first and foremost I would recommend spending time with animals. Being around animals is a transformative experience and is a huge catalyst for becoming a passionate advocate in their defense. So I would recommend finding out where your nearest animal sanctuary is, and going there for a long visit. And if you’ve already visited a sanctuary once or twice, make sure you go again and soon. If you’re unable to or don’t have the means to travel, then go to your nearest shelter and volunteer.

Another good first step is to just start taking action — go from talking about it to doing something about it. I think a good place to begin is by utilizing what you already know how to do. For me, as soon as I stopped eating meat, I started thinking about how I could implement my design skills to help animals. And it was actually designing a little brochure for a group called Compassionate Action for Animals that helped me go from vegetarian to vegan fairly quickly. I think applying an existing passion towards your new passion for saving animals really strengthens convictions. I’ve seen it happen time and time again with people.

I’m also a big believer in protests, in being out there in the streets, speaking out for change. I think participating in protests in essential. Protests have impact, and they also offer a chance to feel a part of a community, meet other activists who share your passion, and put forth a united front — which is an amazing and energizing feeling for a new activist. Exploring the vegan community is important. If there’s something like a Vegan Drinks in your town, go check it out. Once I became a vegan, The NYC Vegan Drinks was the place where I met other vegans for the first time. It was amazing to talk to other people who wanted to help animals.

Find out what events are happening in your town, like a Veg Fest, or something like an Animal Rights Conference, or a book signing for a vegan author — and attend. Talk to people who have been doing this for a long time, who can offer you special insight. Seek knowledge. Learn about the animal agriculture industry, about the legislation out there, marketing tactics, how things are made, how leather is produced, the statistics of animal exploitation, nutritional facts…Seek knowledge and truth by any means necessary — whether from other people, books, films, places, the internet. Be an observer, because this will constantly inform your activism and provide you with ideas on how to solve problems. The animal exploitation industry is a massive problem, but we can solve it. I truly believe we will find the solution.

And if you’ve decided to dedicate your life to helping animals, then follow your inner compass and let it guide to where you feel you’d be most effective — whether being a campaign manager for a nonprofit, running a vegan blog, writing about animal rights, rescuing animals, caring for them at a sanctuary, and so forth. And then seek out opportunities, or get inventive and create your own.

What can people look forward to in future issues?

Page count is increasing, with an even greater diversity of stories. The next issue will have a theme, and that will be the plan for all following issues. The approach will always be to remain uncompromising. The content won’t shy away from serious, difficult topics, but the magazine is also committed to showcasing the full range of a compassionate lifestyle, which includes plenty of fun things. We are going to put the spotlight on cool things and people that are still under the radar, while presenting more well-known things and people in an unexpected light. In the next issue, we profile really incredible people — some who are about to break out in a major way, and some who have already left a mark. We have a photo essay with comments from a veteran photographer on the lives of animals in captivity. We’ll be showcasing innovative food and the people who create that food. The goal is to be original, experimental and inspiring. The purpose of the magazine is to show the beauty of a vegan lifestyle in a truthful way, and really do it justice.

What’s not changing is we will always prominently and honestly feature the lives of animals, whether they are free or still in trapped in the animal exploitation matrix.

As of this week, the magazine has achieved a huge milestone for a new title: mainstream distribution! Dozens and dozens of newsstands have agreed to carry LAIKA – right alongside magazines like Women’s Health and Maxim – and more distribution points are being added daily. Can’t wait? Get it delivered right to your mailbox or your inbox, or view online content at http://laikamagazine.com.

P.S. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laika. You’re welcome.

activist, capitalism, communication, media, vegan

January 5th, 2012 by Kezia

Many vegans lament that there are dog/cat rescuers and other animal activists in their communities who are not vegan. I’m with you, believe me. I get it. It is shocking when humane societies serve animals on plates at fundraisers. It is a head-scratcher that someone who works to save whales would order sushi in a restaurant, failing to recognize he is destroying the ocean habitats and food chains that support those whales.

I understand your frustration that nonvegan companon animal rescuers don’t recognize that a pig is every bit as lovable as a dog, and a turkey can be just as cuddly as a cat. They work hard for one or a few species but not every species – just like there are people who feel called to get active on behalf of sea turtles, elephants, wolves, or other specific animals.

Although it would be wonderful if more dog/cat rescuers were vegan, I’d also like it if more vegans gave a crap, and actively helped animals in need. Not eating, wearing or exploiting animals is the absolute bare minimum a person can do. It is the default setting. It is the “moral baseline,” as some say.

Over the years I’ve worked with people and organizations who rescue dogs, cats, birds and other domestic pet species, those who are doing the dirty work of animal liberation. There should be much more respect, and less derision, for “dog and cat people” from the vegan community.

The animal rescuers I know do things that most vegans wouldn’t deign to do – such as run into traffic with a leash in one hand and a can of dog food in the other; wake up every two hours to bottle-feed kittens, crawl through mud to save a lost cat who scratches the hell out of them as a thank-you, cut the chain embedded in the neck of an auto yard pit bull who has never known a kindness from a human, pay their unemployed neighbor’s vet bill, not to mention clean up piles upon piles of shit.

Animal rescuers are willing to trap, trespass, surveil, steal, and otherwise do whatever it takes to do the right thing for an animal, right now, regardless of what the law says. As activists, most of us don’t hold a candle to these people. Too many vegans do very little to proactively help animals.

But what about the estimated 100 animals a year we save by being vegan? Let’s not strain ourselves patting each other on the back.

Going vegan doesn’t “save” 100 animals a year. 100 animals don’t go to sanctuaries or aquaria each year because you are vegan. In theory, you are preventing the future births of 100 animals a year. But with the realities of animal agribusiness, I’m loath to consider that anything more than theory. The minor losses the vegan population causes to animal processors are more than made up for by government subsidies and bailouts, plus exports to developing countries.

Ordering a pizza without cheese or buying cruelty-free makeup doesn’t make you a hero. Going to a potluck or a protest a few times a year is a nice opportunity to have your picture posted on Facebook so other people can congratulate you for changing the world. We should do those things. They feed us – literally and emotionally.

But there are no photo galleries for people who spend their entire weekend doing home checks to make sure that companion animals are being adopted by loving families instead of creeps. There are no awards for people who foster yet another animal because the “owners” are having a baby and don’t want him or her anymore, or people who go out night after night to trap homeless cats so they can be treated for mange, vaccinated, and fixed. They don’t get a prize for every box of starving abandoned kittens they find on the side of the road or every injured, bleeding dog they rush to a 24-hour vet. It is thankless, unglamorous work. It saves animals.

So be kind to dog and cat rescuers. Befriend one who isn’t vegan. Walk some dogs, scoop some poop, volunteer at an adoption event, help feed a feral cat colony. Buy them lunch and ask why, since they do so much for animals, they aren’t vegan yet. Give them a popular cookbook. Take them grocery shopping. Find out how you can be supportive and encouraging.

Then find out how you can do more for animals than signing a few online petitions and clicking ‘like’ to give a nonprofit a dollar.

A rescuer spotted "Reese" running across Exposition Boulvard in South L.A. near USC. She was one foot away from being killed by a van. When she got to campus, people helped catch her, but would do no more. To adopt Reese email SCAadoptions@yahoo.com.

Los Angeles area rescues with vegan cred:

ARME

Stray Cat Alliance

Strangest Angels

Molly’s Mutts and Meows

activist, animal rescue, companion animals, liberation, liberationist, speciesism, Vegan Outreach

August 23rd, 2011 by Gary Smith

In 2002 The Financial Times characterized SHAC as “succeeding where Karl Marx, the Baader-Meinhof gang and the Red Brigades failed.” Their actions drew the attention of Wall Street and the FBI resulting in a politically charged landmark free speech case called the SHAC 7 trial where Andy and 5 others were charged and convicted as terrorists for their activism. Sentenced to 3 years in prison Andy spent his last 6.5 months in a secretive federal prison program that NPR would later name ‘Guantanamo North’.

Andy’s activism as part of the SHAC7 is the subject of a feature-length documentary due out in 2012 from Finngate Pictures. Since his release from prison Andy works for a publisher, consults for social justice groups, and speaks on his experiences at universities.

activist, SHAC 7, vegan

May 5th, 2011 by Kezia

Vegan Outreach is a national nonprofit that has distributed millions of pieces of literature worldwide. Its college-based program alone has reached five million students on more than 1,800 college campuses. Its regional outreach coordinator Nikki Benoit, who famously asked Obama that vegan question while he was on the campaign trail, was recently arrested at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, Calif., for handing out pamphlets outside of a designated free speech zone. Civil rights experts do not consider it constitutional to restrict free speech to certain areas on campus.

We spoke to Nikki for her side of the story.

What the hell happened?

When leafleting, many college campuses want outside organizations, even non-profits, to: a) sign in / apply for permission to leaflet; b) stand only in a “free speech zone” (they decide what’s suitable); and c) some will only let you table versus hand out literature. All of this is unconstitutional both at the state and federal levels. California is more liberal with this than most states.

Bryan Pease, attorney and Executive Director of the Animal Protection and Rescue League in San Diego, has been reiterating that we don’t need to abide by these rules, and if we’re cited or arrested, he will represent us and work within the system to change campus policies. Simple. His wife and co-pilot, Kath Rogers, and I were stopped while leafleting a private college in San Diego last month and she demonstrated how this civil disobedience action works. When the officer called in to dispatch to get the exact code to cite us with, he learned there isn’t one! Also, he said the school can ask us to sign in, but we really don’t have to. Clearly Bryan’s engaged with San Diego PD enough that now they know what our rights are. Two weeks ago I was freed from a citation at Southwestern College in Chula Vista for the same reason. There just needs to be enough cage-rattling to stop the madness.

What implications do you think this has for activists? It used to be that leafleting was considered a “low impact” tactic. Do you think this will hamper your work in the future?

Not at all. Leafleting is as peaceful and low-key as you can get. Most people see the positive influence this type of outreach has for raising awareness and feel empowered by its efficacy.

I’ve heard of other vegan advocates across the country standing their ground before, but I’ve not heard of anyone else being arrested. My legal representation is stellar. These charges are as good as dropped. They were in the wrong. People have been leafleting for ages. Vegan Outreach alone has had over 2,000 leafleters (mostly volunteers) distribute almost nine million leaflets across the globe – these are just the recorded figures. Just one activist intentionally pushing the peanut, knowing it will open doors for future activists, surely won’t eclipse the overwhelming benefits of leafleting.

Do you feel your arrest is at all related to the general climate in the country that wants to paint animal activists as dangerous “eco-terrorists?”

No. I don’t think people find leafleting to be a threat – on the surface. I honestly think these policy makers feel they’re within their rights to “protect” their students and “run the show” on campus. I’d paint this as more of a misguided control issue.

You’re taking action to get the criminal charges dismissed. Will you pursue a civil case against the school, or what other options are you considering?

We’re going to sue for violating my civil rights and for battery from the campus security officer.

What advice do you have for people who want to be more active for animals and might be put off by your experience?

Raising awareness of the facts is the only way we’ll garner community support against violence to animals. There is nothing to lose and everything to gain by leafleting. Not everyone has to take a stand like I did. Bryan is a free speech force – there is no doubt that he’ll loosen the chokehold that’s been smoldering our rights for too long, statewide.

Just imagine the ease leafleters will feel when they can just stroll on the campus of their choice, bang out a few hundred leaflets, and call it a day – drama free! The real shame is for groups like Vegan Outreach to have to waste time and resources, having staff drive to colleges, pay to park, only to be stifled, stuck in a corner and reach fewer people than if left alone. The animals don’t have time for this bureaucratic nonsense, and I’m happy to support VO and give Bryan a chance to work it.

For more analysis please see Vegan Activist Arrested for Leafleting on College Campus. Although the legal case is being handled pro bono, supporters are welcome to contribute to Vegan Outreach or APRL.

activist, animal rights activist, legal, Vegan Outreach

March 6th, 2011 by Kezia

Thanks to pop psychology, the self-help industry, and New Age gurus, progressives have developed a knee-jerk opposition to judging others. The mantra goes like this: being judgmental, bad. Being tolerant, good.

A follower of The Thinking Vegan recently snarked, “some of us vegans just like being vegan without being judgemental [sic] or preachy.” (This in itself could be regarded as a judgment, as is my pointing out that the spelling error was in the original text, but parsing gets us nowhere.)

Although non-vegans constantly accuse us of being judgmental, the sting is a bit different when it comes from one of our own, and it gave me a chilling sense of Uncle Tom-ism to see a vegan adopt the language of the oppressor, in this case, the carnist.

But clearly the characterization of vegans as judgmental touches a nerve. Carnists are extraordinarily defensive and sensitive at times – which disproves the theory that eating animals makes one tough. Just being vegan is apparently enough to offend some of them, and hurt their feelers.

People feel “judged” by vegans because they are experiencing guilt or shame about their choices. This is uncomfortable for them. Rather than look within themselves to reconsider the choices they have made that cause their guilt and shame, they find it much easier on their egos to blame a vegan for causing these negative, but perfectly natural and understandable, emotions. As vegans, like it or not, we serve as a mirror. Other people see something about themselves reflected in us. Most of the time, they do not like what they see.

It’s very difficult to control how someone may react to us, to what we may say or simply how we may live our lives. Like beauty, judgment is in the eye of the beholder. (And what one person regards as judgmental or critical, another person thinks is innocuous.) As an early adopter of a hybrid, one of the first Priuses to roll off the line in 2002, I recall getting the occasional finger from SUV drivers. I did nothing to prompt such reactions; I assure you I’m an excellent driver. I had no bumper stickers or anything that would inspire this response. One driver rolled down his window at a stoplight to sneer, “More gas for me!” Just driving a fuel-efficient car near them was enough to cause them to feel I was judging them.

The Bible says “judge not, lest ye be judged,” another thing the New Agers love to appropriate for their own purposes. Taken in context, the advice offered is to avoid hypocritically judging people for something of which you yourself are guilty. In other words, don’t use something against them that they could turn back on you. It means ‘walk your walk and talk your talk,’ not ‘be loving and accepting of everybody in the world regardless of how you feel about their choices.’ (Evangelical Christianity certainly doesn’t endorse that.)

We can’t censor ourselves for fear of being labeled as “judgmental” when we want to tell the truth. If you’re accused of this, instead of shutting up, consider saying something like “I understand this subject makes you uncomfortable. Those feelings are totally valid. Lots of people are upset by [fill in the blank].”

The idea of remaining nonjudgmental, even toward people with unethical and regressive belief systems, is greatly troubling. Veganism is a major component of a larger social justice movement to eliminate speciesism and elevate the status of animals. If we all just stood around being respectful and tolerant of each other, this movement wouldn’t get far.

All great social change stems from people making a judgment. A group of people has to stand up and say “this is wrong, and must be stopped.” That’s a judgment, and it takes a certain fearlessness to do this. The first child labor laws were passed because people agreed that children shouldn’t have to earn a living doing dangerous factory work. This was a judgment, and corporations fought it tooth and nail.

As a civilization, a little more judgment would be a healthy thing. Let’s not let our progress be arrested by too much of this belief that we can love people into changing the world.

activist, communication, social justice, vegan

February 8th, 2011 by Gary Smith

I understand people object to calling what is happening to animals a “war.” By way of clarifying, in the U.S. alone, 10 billion land animals are confined, tortured, and systematically slaughtered. If this were happening to a group of human beings, in the U.S. or else anywhere in the world, we would have no difficulty calling it a war. It would be genocide, plain and simple.

This war is being waged by multi-national corporations using workers as soldiers, and is supported by the State in both its courts and its legislative bodies. It is being funded by people who consume animal products, and carried out in their names.

Certainly we don’t have a good track record of fighting “the war on” terror, drugs, cancer, etc. These culturally declared wars have been abject failures. The war on animals differs because it hasn’t been overtly declared. It’s still covert, tacit, and will remain that way until we see it for what it really is.

I appreciate each and every vegan activist and “freedom fighter” working to stop this war with the tools and resources they have.

activist, animal rights, vegan, war

February 8th, 2011 by Gary Smith

Vegans and animal rights activists are fighting a war, yet most people don’t realize there’s a war being fought. They have no idea that they are fighting on the side of the oppressors and exploiters. Every time they purchase meat, dairy, eggs, clothing made from animals, tickets for animal entertainment, products tested on animals, companion animals, they are putting bullets in the oppressor’s guns. Stop. Go vegan.

activist, animal rights, vegan, war