I’ve been vegan for over 25 years. I’ve dedicated most of my adult life to speaking out about the exploitation of animals, celebrating plant-based innovation, and building inclusive spaces for people trying to make kinder choices.
So I hope what I’m about to say isn’t taken lightly. Comparing meat-eating to racism is not cool.
Read more below:
Today I saw a post by Boy George doing the rounds on social media. He was responding to a headline about Tommy Robinson (yes, that Tommy Robinson) being removed from a steakhouse in London because staff said they felt uncomfortable serving him. The manager reportedly asked him to leave, and quite rightly in my opinion, as Robinson is someone with a well-documented history of far-right activism and hate speech.
Enter Boy George, who chimed in with:
“After they slaughtered the cows do they really have a moral high ground?”
Now, let me be clear. I am all for calling out the violence of the meat industry. I will forever be on the side of animals who are treated as commodities. But I also know we need to be extremely cautious with how we frame those conversations. And George’s hot take isn’t useful.
Suggesting that restaurant staff who serve animal products have no right to object to serving a racist is a false equivalence that shuts down necessary conversations about bigotry. It confuses two separate issues in a way that undermines both, and it offers no meaningful way forward.
We can absolutely criticise animal exploitation. We should. But saying people who eat meat have no right to challenge racism is not only unhelpful, it’s actively harmful. It gives racists a shield. It hands them a “gotcha” moment and distracts from the real harm they do to human beings.
Plenty of people are on different journeys when it comes to food ethics. That doesn’t mean they are incapable of recognising injustice in other forms. People can be ‘wrong’ about one thing and right about another. That’s the complexity of being human.
Boy George’s comment misses that complexity. It creates division, not understanding. And it reinforces the stereotype that vegans are out of touch or holier-than-thou. That helps no one. Not the animals, not marginalised people, and certainly not the animal rights movement.
When you position animal advocacy as a counterpoint to anti-racism, you not only distract from the urgent need to challenge hate, you risk minimising it. That’s not where we should be putting our energy.
So yes, I’m vegan. I want a world where animals are not exploited. But I also want a world where racists like Tommy Robinson aren’t welcomed with open arms in public spaces. And I’m not interested in sacrificing one fight for the sake of another.
We need to get better at holding multiple truths. We need to speak up for animals and speak up against racism. And we need to do it without dismissing either struggle or turning them into some kind of moral tug-of-war.
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