A spokesperson stated: The Vegan Society has a number of challenges that we must address as we evolve into an even more diverse and inclusive organisation.
JACK WRIGHT: Five trustees quit the Vegan Society last month amid allegations of institutional racism and transphobia sparked by a bitter row over whether the word ‘veganism’ was ‘cultural appropriation’. Last summer the society, which was established nearly eight decades ago, commissioned Ijeoma Omambala QC to investigate claims that the then vice chair, Eshe Kiama Zuri, had posted racist comments online.
Her report, which was published in June, found that Zuri had written two ‘unprofessional and inappropriate’ comments about the society, but that neither was racist. The barrister also noted how the ‘vast majority’ of complaints against 25-year-old Zuri were unfounded but appeared motivated by an anonymous person’s ‘profound personal animosity’ towards Zuri due to their ‘identity and protected characteristics’.
Zuri describes themself on their personal website as ‘disabled and non-gendered’, meaning they do not identify as either male or female. They have written how veganism was coined by a ‘white man’ but ‘hippy vegan food’ is based upon culinary traditions including dal from Pakistan, tofu and wheat from China and hummus from the Middle East…
The barrister’s report to the society added how during its meetings, Zuri had been ‘misgendered’ – referred to by a sex they do not identify as – and the council ‘is not equipped to have mature and constructive conversations on diversity and inclusion matters; nor is it able to deal effectively with challenges to prevailing orthodoxies’…
The publication of Ms Omambala’s report saw Zuri, Robb Masters, Joel Bravette, Michele Fox and Sally Anderson quit as trustees last month. Zuri’s resignation letter states they had been ‘naive’ joining the council in 2019 as a ‘multiply marginalised trustee, being black, queer, disabled and working class’ accusing the charity of being ‘institutionally racist’…
Zuri alleged they had been ‘forced out’ due to a ‘smear campaign’, adding: ‘I can confidently say that the Vegan Society is not a safe place for young people, for black people, for queer people or for any other marginalised people’… Ms Omambala found complaints Mr Masters supported alleged racism by Zuri were also unfounded…
A spokesperson for The Vegan Society said… ‘There has been conflict amongst the Board that we have been working hard to address and it is regrettable that the most recent resignations were received the day before a planned mediation session’… ‘As with many charities, The Vegan Society has a number of challenges that we must address as we evolve into an even more diverse and inclusive organisation’. SOURCE…
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