Igualdad Animal’s film on the tuna hunt in Italy. These wonderful animals deserve much better than this from us. Fish isn’t vegan.
(Source: vimeo.com)
Maxwell, who died this week from his injuries after falling from the back of a transport lorry. Hundreds of thousands of animals die each year in transport, making it one of the single biggest causes of animal death and suffering.
One day: personal notes on homo- and trans- phobia
Today is the International Day Against Homo-and Transphobia, so I thought I would give some personal thoughts.
I recently watched We Were Here, a film about the AIDS epidemic in San Francisco. Based on interviews with those who were there and survived, it tells the story of how a mysterious disease appeared, which then (as we know now) went on to infect and then kill so many. It is the story of their lives and loss. But it also tells the story of those who fought for the civil rights of AIDS sufferers, those who set up caring and outreach organisations, and those who took direct action until a treatment that worked was found. It was not just disease that needed to be fought, but intolerance and indifference.
When HIV reached the UK, the story was much the same. In the late eighties, and early nineties, I was good friends with a woman named Tina, who lived in Chester and was an active supporter of the Terence Higgins trust. We socialised alot together, she took me under her wing, and for several years her social circle was my social circle. Many of Tina’s friends-my friends -died, and then Tina died too.
Although the deaths during that time were terrible enough, what I most remember was the airbrushing of lives. One friend had a funeral half the size it should have been because “how could we explain how he knew so many queers”. Hard core drag queens known for being one-woman riots, ciggy in one hand, champagne in the other, PVC boots up to their backside were buried as “Dave, who loved computers”
When Tina died, we read an extract from Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City at her memorial service. People may have found the story of roller skating queer nuns inappropriate but you know what? She was proud of her queer friends and they were proud of her.
So if you are marking this day, please remember all those we have lost to disease, and those lost at their own hands and at the hands of others. Remember those whose lives were airbrushed out by those with good intentions. Remember that attitudes don’t change themselves: they change because people stand up and said, “we were here, we are here, we’re queer and we are proud of who we are”
Remember.
Elephant “training”. End the use of animals in circuses now!
(Source: open-the-cages, via fuckyeahcompassion)
Clip from todays Occupy protest at the Bank of England, as City of London police pull protesters through their lines and bundle them away.
police violence (by MrBlacbloc)
Pitbulls in shelters are unfortunately much less likely to be adopted, however good natured they are.
(via fuckyeahcompassion)
The only thing you need to worry about with Staffies is that they may steal your heart. And they won’t give it back.
THE SADDEST DOGS IN SCOTLAND - “…you can just see the light in his eyes fading as he returns to his lonely kennel at the end of another day without any interest.”
Scooby, Oliver, and Frankie are the “least-loved” dogs in Scotland. They are all Staffordshire Bull Terriers who have been waiting for someone to adopt them for a combined total of over 31 months. The Scottish SPCA has initiated a movement to highlight these dogs who are languishing in its shelters. Here’s more from the official website:
Scooby, Frankie and Oliver are three dogs with three things in common. They are all Staffordshire bull terriers, they are all homeless and together they are Scotland’s least-loved dogs.
We have been caring for the boys for a total of 31 months, with Scooby the longest resident of all the animals in our care, clocking up 15 months in kennels to date.
The dogs have become so desperately sad that we have now launched a nationwide hunt to find all three dogs loving, permanent, homes.
***
“But the sad reality is that looks matter and the cute fluffy breeds always get picked over the brindle staffie types every time.
It appears that these lovely dogs may be victims of a bias against bully breeds. Hopefully this new initiative by the Scottish SPCA will result in new homes for these dogs. Click here for more from deadlinenews.co.uk and here to learn more about the Scottish SPCA.
(via fuckyeahcompassion)
