Intersectional veganism calls for empathy towards all marginalized beings, both human and non-human. But in practice, it has often led to confusion, gatekeeping, and the sidelining of animal advocacy in favor of wider political ideology. Animal rights events are increasingly dominated by unrelated political causes. These causes may matter deeply to some, but they aren’t why most people go vegan. The central message to stop harming and commodifying animals ends up lost in a sea of slogans.
THREE RATS: Veganism, at its heart, is simple: it’s the rejection of animal exploitation; a moral stance against unnecessary harm to non-humans. It is more than a diet, it is an ethical framework for living life without using animals as resources.
Yet in recent years, a growing number of activists have tried to reshape veganism into something else entirely – a political identity, a checklist of beliefs, and, increasingly, a purity test.
This is the world of intersectional veganism. It may have come from a place of empathy, but without much thought to the consequences, it quickly became a political loyalty test…
Over time, the concept of intersectionality was broadened, especially in activist and academic circles. What began as an effort to recognise the unique experiences of marginalised individuals slowly evolved into a sweeping ‘theory of all oppressions’ – less about lived experience, and more about a unifying cause.
In some cases, followers began to presume that people’s level of oppression was based on visible identity markers rather than actual life experience…
Eventually, some adopted the view that not only are human oppressions interconnected, but that all systems of dominance – including the human use of animals – stem from the same root structures of hierarchy, control, and entitlement.
This gave rise to a new kind of activism within the animal rights movement: intersectional veganism. It calls for empathy towards all marginalised beings, both human and non-human. But in practice, it has often led to confusion, gatekeeping, and the sidelining of animal advocacy in favour of wider political ideology…
Animal rights events are increasingly dominated by unrelated political causes: BLM, trans rights, decolonisation, and anti-capitalism.
These causes may matter deeply to some, but they aren’t why most people go vegan. The central message to stop harming and commodifying animals ends up lost in a sea of slogans.
Conversely, it seems to be a one way street – while human issues are increasingly brought under the fold of veganism, it doesn’t seem to work the other way around…
Under the intersectional banner, veganism becomes less about protecting animals and more about pledging allegiance to a radical political doctrine. Unless you adopt every unrelated cause – no matter how violent, irrational, or hypocritical – you’re cast out.
People who harm animals get a free pass if they say the right slogans or fit the right demographic… This brings us to one of the more serious effects of intersectional veganism: the idea that certain people aren’t welcome in the movement…
But veganism is not about human politics. It’s about our treatment of animals. It’s about rejecting the use and commodification of non-human beings. While some vegans like to point out that humans are technically animals, even non-vegans understand that this isn’t the point, that this is about the other beings we share the planet with.
All definitions of veganism draw a clear ethical boundary between humans and non-human species. That principle doesn’t require ideological conformity on unrelated political topics…
Veganism should be a big tent, a space where people with different backgrounds and beliefs can unite around one shared principle: animals deserve moral consideration.
Intersectionality may have some value when used carefully, to understand overlapping injustices. But not all injustices overlap, and not every injustice has the same solution – and when it becomes a weapon, a loyalty test, or a replacement for ethics, intersectionality does more harm than good.
This movement is about ending the use of animals – nothing more, nothing less. The animals don’t care about your slogans, your ideology, or your credentials. They need liberation, not a catch-all movement. SOURCE…
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