People for the unethical treat of people

Old quote from People for the ethical treat of animals:

PETA exists to stamp out oppression in all its forms. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Tonight in Washington D.C., People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals is hosting a black tie gala called Animals’ Party to honour people they say have done great work for animals.

Good for them right?

PETA can piss off.

One of those being honoured at the gala tonight is Dan Donovan, an elected official who is the current United States Representative for New York’s 11th congressional district.

I can only assume that Dan Donovan is being recognised by PETA due to his cosponsoring of a resolution to condemn the Yulin Dog Meat Festival in China.

This recognition of Dan Donovan by the most visible animal rights group on the planet is such a hot mess of conflict, disregard and downright insult that I am not sure how to verbalise my protest.

Maybe bullet points will help me:

• Dan Donovan cosponsoring a resolution against dog meat trade in China reeks of speciesism and imperialism. Dan is one of those non-vegans who think the good ol’ USA approach to animals is to kill billions of farm animals every year but worship domesticated pets such as dogs. I don’t see Dan standing up to argue against USA-centric laws and legislations that allow billions of animals to be mistreated. When people in the USA condemn China for being cruel but still consume and wear state-sanctioned animals themselves, it is hypocritical with racial overtones. I don’t think this sort of action is to be applauded. Chinese dogs are not more special than USA cows, chickens and pigs. I don’t think a non-vegan should be honoured by a vegan organisation for saving one type of animal while they do nothing for others. Especially when this is condemning a practice specific to a particular culture/s.

• Dan Donovan voted to support the resolution to clear the way to repeal the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The ACA has undoubtedly given hope to millions of people who were otherwise left helpless when faced with serious illness or injury. Even though the GOP have no defined alternative to the ACA, the political party is aggressively moving forward with plans to dismantle it. I am distraught in the knowledge that an animal rights group is celebrating a politician who is active in the stripping away of healthcare provisions and protections for millions of at-risk humans.

• Dan Donovan was the District Attorney who presided over the grand jury investigation into the death of Eric Garner at the hands of police. To say the failure of the jury to indict the officer involved was controversial is beyond an understatement. Donovan has been accused of not pushing hard enough to seek an indictment against the white officer who was filmed pushing the unarmed African-American Garner to the ground in a chokehold apparently for selling single cigarettes (pleas from Garner of “I can’t breathe” went ignored by the officer). Donovan has also been heavily criticised for not pursuing indictments against other officers involved in the death and for seemingly using race-baiting to drum up political support via an email newsletter. I am flummoxed as to why an animal rights group would overlook this contentious and upsetting history of a person they want to publicly recognise.

• Dan Donovan has publicly stated he personally objects to same-sex marriage. Do you know what I would like to publicly state, PETA? I personally object to an animal rights group recognising a human who announces homophobic and discriminatory viewpoints directed at me and my community.

• Dan Donovan voted in favour of the Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015. This callous and opportunistic vote is another clear example of how US politicians work overtime to control the choices of women and the bodies of women. I am deeply saddened that an animal rights organisation would what to honour a politician with such little respect for the rights of women to exercise self-management of their bodies, lives and futures.

I could go on for a while, but I think you catch my drift.

PETA. It is not enough to care about dogs. A person shouldn’t be heralded as an animal rights champion in front of celebrities and dignitaries during an expensive gala event in Washington D.C. because they simply signed their name to a speciesist and arguably racially-driven resolution.

PETA. You have a grave responsibility to protect and champion the rights of humans as well as animals. Millions of people look to you as a voice of compassion and honouring a known homophobe, anti-choice politician who holds beyond dubious records when it comes to the protection of black people is an abomination and severe mark against your legacy.

PETA. Your celebration of Dan Donovan hurts people of colour, women and members of the LGBT community.

PETA. I call on you to rescind your honouring of Dan Donovan for all of the reasons listed above. You cannot build a kind and compassionate world for animals while you lift up those who work hard to diminish people of colour, women and members of the LGBT community.