An Anti-Speciesism Reading List

An Anti-Speciesism Reading List

Speciesism is the prejudice, discrimination, or oppression based on species designation. It is the belief that the moral value of someone is based on which species they "belong" to and are ranked in a hierarchy created by their perceived usefulness to humans. It's an insidious form of supremacy that considers humans as being most important above all others and therefore entitled to do whatever they want, no matter who it harms.

Being considered as less worthy is used to justify the oppression and atrocities committed against sentient non-human animals. Examples of speciesism include the use of animals as entertainment in bullfighting, elephant riding, and zoos; for clothing like fur coats and down jackets; in experimentation for beauty or skincare products; and the practice of factory farming and eating animals.

In short, to be anti-speciesist is to believe it is immoral to exploit or harm non-human animals simply because they belong to a different species. While anti-speciesism started as an animal rights movement, more recently it has extended its work in the fight against oppression in all areas of life; fighting for total justice and liberation for all. It's about unlearning our speciesist ideas, practices, and language to be more inclusive and less oppressive; actively incorporating non-cissexist, non-sexist, non-ableist, non-racist and environmental communication into non-speciesist advocacy.

The following reading list contains books covering animal rights, oppression, and anti-speciesist work. I encourage you to follow accounts such as @anti-speciesist @anti.speciesist.action @wakeactivism and @beyondspecies to learn more about speciesism and what it means to be anti-speciesist. The more you read the more nuanced your understanding of oppression will be.



Start Here:

Beyond Beliefs: A Guide to Improving Relationships and Communication for Vegans, Vegetarians, and Meat Eaters by Melanie Joy

Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer

The Case for Animal Rights by Tom Regan

The Secret World of Farm Animals by Jeffrey Moussaieff Masson

Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows: An Introduction to Carnism: The Belief System That Enables Us to Eat Some Animals and Not Others by Melanie Joy



Continue Here:

Animal Rights: The Abolitionist Approach by Gary L. Francione, Anna E. Charlton

Animal Liberation by Peter Singer

Animal Oppression and Human Violence: Domesecration, Capitalism, and Global Conflict by David A. Nibert

Animal Rights/Human Rights: Entanglements of Oppression and Liberation by David A. Nibert

Aphro-ism: Essays on Pop Culture, Feminism, and Black Veganism from Two Sisters by Aph Ko, Syl Ko

Beasts of Burden: Animal and Disability Liberation by Sunaura Taylor

Food Justice: A Primer by Saryta Rodriguez

Freedom Is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis

In Defense of Animals: The Second Wave by Peter Singer

Protest Kitchen: Fight Injustice, Save the Planet, and Fuel Your Resistance One Meal at a Time by Carol J. Adams

The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory by Carol J. Adams

Speciesism (free PDF) by Joan Dunayer

This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color by CherrĂ­e L. Moraga (Editor), Gloria E. AnzaldĂșa (Editor) , Toni Cade Bambara (Foreward)

Veganism of Color: Decentering Whiteness in Human and Nonhuman Liberation by Julia Feliz Brueck

Veganism in an Oppressive World: A Vegans-of-Color Community Project by Julia Feliz Brueck

We Are the Weather: Saving the Planet Begins at Breakfast by Jonathan Safran Foer




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An Anti-Speciesism Reading List An Anti-Speciesism Reading List