Vegans are a diverse bunch. Among them, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transexual, queer, intersexual, and asexual/aromantic (LGBTQIA) folks have been integral to the movement for animal liberation. In addition to fighting for animal rights, these rad vegans also have a history of working towards consistent anti-oppression and fighting against all forms of social injustice, including toward specific communities such as queer, trans, Black, and Indigenous. In honor of Pride Month, we’re highlighting just a few of the many advocates, artists, and scholars who are making a difference for animals and others. If you aren’t following their inspiring work, you will want to now.
@giordanodelacruz_
1. LoriKim Alexander
This 26-year vegan and out lesbian is an anthropologist and trained biologist who fights against environmental racism and for Black Indigenous liberation. Until recently, she was the co-director of BlackCuse Pride, an organization by and for trans and queer Black Indigenous folks. Among other vegan festivals, Alexander has shared her wisdom as a speaker at the worldwide Veganism of Color conference and Black Vegfest in New York.
@soozgonzalez
2. Suzy Gonzalez
A queer pansexual Xicana artist, zinester, and curator, Gonzalez has had her art exhibited in galleries across the country, including the Presa House Gallery, R Gallery, and Lady Base Gallery in San Antonio, TX; MACLA in San Jose, CA; and RedLine Contemporary in Denver, CO. She co-publishes the intersectional feminist zine Yes, Ma’am; co-organizes the San Anto Zine Fest, which brings together independent media; and is half of the artist’s collective Dos Mestizx. Her art pieces Tasty Chick (2013) and Miss Drumstick (2013) were influenced by the scholarship of ecofeminist and animal-rights activist Carol Adams.
Lantern Publishing & Media
3. Pattrice Jones
Jones is the co-founder of the LGBTQIA-run animal sanctuary Vine Sanctuary in Springfield, VT, which cares for 700 animals and advocates for the liberation of all beings. She has written and lectured on speciesism and its interconnections with racism, homophobia, and transphobia, including contributing chapters to more than seven books on animal liberation, ecofeminism, and anarchist studies, and authoring the books Aftershock: Confronting Trauma in a Violent World: A Guide for Activists and Their Allies and The Oxen at the Intersection: A Collision.
Sanctuary Publishers
4. Julia Feliz
Feliz is a nonbinary Black Indigenous author, illustrator, scientist, and all-around jack of all trades. They are the founder of Sanctuary Publishers, a vegan book publisher that aims to inspire change for the betterment of the world, which includes donating a portion of its sales to marginalized communities. Feliz also runs a number of social justice websites, including NewPrideFlag.com, VeganismOfColor.com, and NeuroAbleism.com. As part of Sanctuary, Feliz wrote and illustrated the books Baby and Toddler Vegan Feeding Guide and Wild and Free, and edited the books Veganism in an Oppressive World, Veganism of Color, and Trans and Queer Voices.
@queervegan666
5. Frankie Mouche
An autistic, nonbinary vegan, Mouche runs the blog and social media pages Queer Vegan, which covers topics such as animal rights, vegan food, queer liberation, fitness, and heavy metal. Frankie and their business partner also opened vegan café Aubergine in Cardiff, Wales to create job opportunities for people living with autism.
6. Margaret Robinson
Robinson is an Indigenous bisexual Two-Spirit scholar who has written on bisexual women, Mi’kmaw humanities, critical veganism, and critical health studies. An Assistant Professor of Sociology and Social Anthropology at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, she has presented on topics such as Indigenous veganism, and worked with community support organizations such as the Toronto Bisexual Network, Rainbow Health Ontario, and the Risk and Resilience project.
@shirieisner
7. Shiri Eisner
A Mizrahi bisexual and genderqueer activist-scholar living in Tel Aviv, Eisner is the author of Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution and has been a vocal feminist, anarchist, and anti-Zionist. She has been involved with the Free Palestine, animal rights, queer liberation, and disability justice movements.
@granolatron
8. Michelle Carrera
Carrera is a queer Puerto Rican activist who founded the non-profit organizations Chilis on Wheels, Casa Vegana de la Comunidad, and the Microsanctuary Resource Project. She is a believer in the power of mutual aid and solidarity work as the keys to collective liberation. Her food justice work and other social justice activism center veganism and marginalized communities. 
9. Kamekə Brown
Brown is a queer Black womxn who works at New York’s Farm Sanctuary as their Manager of Social Justice Programs, which entails developing programming that emphasizes consistent anti-oppression around issues of our food system. She has a Master of Arts in Social Change and has been published in Veganism of Color and A Better World Starts Here: Activists and Their Work.
@jasminsingerauthor
10. Jasmin Singer
This list wouldn’t be complete without lesbian and queer liberation advocate Jasmin Singer. Full disclosure: Singer is a longtime editor of VegNews. She is also co-founder of the animals-rights podcast Our Hen House, the author of the memoir Always Too Much and Never Enough and The VegNews Guide to Being a Fabulous Vegan. Singer has been named “40 Under 40” by The Advocate, is the Vice President of Editorial for vegan beauty box company Kinder Beauty, and has appeared on the Dr. Oz Show and vegan and animal-rights documentaries Vegucated and The Ghosts in Our Machine.
Zane McNeill is a nonbinary activist-scholar, 10-year vegan, and co-editor of Queer and Trans Voices: Achieving Liberation Through Consistent Anti-Oppression.
This post was originally published on VegNews.com.
