Category Archives: Veganism

“Veganism is a way of living which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.” (Formal definition from the Vegan Society)

Vegan activism: Confronting connections between human and animal oppression

[Image: pattrice jones, lauren Ornelas, and A. Breeze Harper sit at a table. pattrice is gesturing and speaking while lauren and Breeze look on.]

Today’s post on Medium, “Vegan activism: Confronting connections between human and animal oppression“, contains photos and thoughts on a talk I attended last Friday by pattrice jones, lauren Ornelas, and A. Breeze Harper.

Reminder to readers: Please follow me on Medium if you aren’t doing so already, thanks!

My adventures in animal rights activism

[Image: Pax  at their “Vegan Information Station” at the Free Farm Stand, August 2014.]

Today’s post on Medium, “My adventures in animal rights activism“, is about my experiences participating in vegan and animal rights activism, including DxE (which I left in 2015).

Reminder to readers: Please follow me on Medium if you aren’t doing so already, thanks!

Vegan ruminations

[Image: Hope Bohanec introduces Karen Davis, president and founder of United Poultry Concerns.]

Today’s post on Medium, “Vegan ruminations“, contains photos and  thoughts about the subjects raised at the 2018 Conscious Eating Conference. This story is unlocked, so everyone can read it; please share if you like it.

Reminder to readers: Please follow me on Medium if you aren’t doing so already, thanks!

Dare to disarm

[Image: Armed police officers wearing riot helmets stand ready on the UC Berkeley campus.]

Today’s post on Medium, “Dare to disarm“,  expresses my thoughts on gun control, and my desire to eliminate all firearms from the Earth. This story is for Medium members only, but non-members get three free stories a month, and my Patreon supporters get access to exclusive drafts.

Reminder to readers: Please follow me on Medium if you aren’t doing so already, thanks!

Animals are not “meats”

[Image: Pax with Hari, a young steer at PreetiRang Sanctuary, February 2016. Photo by Ziggy.]

Today’s post on Medium, “Animals are not ‘meats’“, expresses some of my frustrations about the humane farming myth and about animals being treated as products for human consumption. This story is unlocked, so everyone can read it; please share if you like it.

Reminder to readers: Please follow me on Medium if you aren’t doing so already, thanks!

Dairy: White Lies

[Image: Harvey, a calf at Preetirang Sanctuary.]

Today’s post on Medium, “Dairy: White Lies“, is an updated version of an article I wrote criticizing the promotion of cow’s milk to people of color, most of whom are lactose intolerant – or as the Food Empowerment Project correctly puts it, “lactose normal”. This story is unlocked, so everyone can read it; please share if it resonates with you.

Reminder to readers: Please follow me on Medium if you aren’t doing so already, thanks!

So you’re going vegan for New Year’s

[Image: Saryta and Pax pet Brahma, a bull at Preetirang Sanctuary. Photo by Ziggy.]

Today’s post on Medium, “So you’re going vegan for New Year’s“,  addresses those who are making New Year’s resolutions to go vegan. (Even if you’re already vegan or have no intention of going vegan, it’s worth a read.) This story is unlocked, so everyone can read it; please share if you like it.

Reminder to readers: Please follow me on Medium if you aren’t doing so already, thanks!

Conflicted thoughts on Thanksgiving

[Image: An activist at a Stand with Standing Rock rally in San Francisco holds a sign reading “Protect the Sacred”.]

Today’s post on Medium, “Conflicted thoughts on Thanksgiving“, is about reconciling the celebration of the holiday with the continued oppression of marginalized humans and the killing of animals. Please follow me on Medium if you aren’t doing so already, thanks.

Presenting at Inclusivity Conference

[Image: Headshot of Pax (by Ziggy Tomcich) with the words “San Francisco Bay Area Inclusivity Conference – Prioritizing Harm Free(dom) For Our Future”.]

Update, October 15: This conference has been postponed; see explanation on Facebook.


Next weekend, I will be presenting at the Inclusivity Conference, hosted by Vegan Leadership in Oakland, California. In my presentation, I will discuss gender diversity, giving basic education on transgender, non-binary, and intersex terminology, and suggestions on how cisgender people can demonstrate allyship with the community.

I’ll also show photos I’ve taken at events in the San Francisco Bay Area, highlighting the role of queer and trans people of color in social justice movements, and discussing how vegan ethics have informed my activism and political outlook.

The conference is on October 21 and 22, 2017, and will be catered by S+M Vegan. Other featured speakers include A. Breeze Harper of the Sistah Vegan Project and lauren Ornelas of the Food Empowerment Project. My talk is scheduled for October 22 at 1:30 p.m. You can get tickets to the event (sliding scale), or donate to help with expenses, at the conference web site.