Vegan beats US senate record (+ more positive vegan/animal advocacy news)

Ranting against injustices while being physically uncomfortable is literally a vegan superpower!

Hi friend,

You have probably heard about Senator Cory Booker’s epic and record-breaking 25+ hour speech in the US Senate.

If you haven’t, here’s the speech’s Wikipedia entry.

Here are highlights from his speech:

And here’s the moment he broke the record and the beautiful ending of his speech:

People have pointed out how awesome it is that a Black senator beat the previous record by scumbag, I mean, Senator Strom Thurmond — who in 1957 filibustered for 24 hours and 18 minutes against the Civil Rights Act.

In my view, there’s only one thing more awesome than Thurmond’s record being beat by a Black senator: Thurmond’s record being beat by a Black, vegan senator.

Now, the longest Senate speech is associated with a champion for civil rights, who also happens to be a champion for animals. From a symbolic perspective, it’s awesome that the current record-holder stands up against all forms of oppression, including those that are still being normalized.

(And yes, around the 13-hour mark, Booker mentioned his veganism: “I went out for dinner with Ted Cruz it was hard to find a restaurant. Because I'm a vegan and Ted Cruz is from Texas.”)

To avoid having to go to the bathroom, Booker had reportedly fasted for 3 days and avoided water for 24 hours prior to his speech. This is in stark contrast to Strom Thurmond who ate bites of beef and pumpernickel bread during his speech, and used a bucket in a Senate cloakroom to relieve himself.

Also, unlike many other people who filibustered before (for instance, Ted Cruz, who resorted to reading from a Dr. Seuss book), Booker actually stayed on topic throughout his speech.

I can’t help but think that all these are things a vegan politician would excel in:

• stage an impressive protest that’s beautifully symbolic,

• be physically uncomfortable for the greater good,

• avoid food in order to make a point, and

• rant against injustices — longer than anyone else.

I mean, what’s more vegan than that? Ranting against injustices while being physically uncomfortable is literally a vegan superpower! 😂

And while none of us might be able to copy Booker’s impressive feat, we all carry a spark of that same sacred defiance and a belief in vegan values within us.

Speaking of vegan values….

The next session of HBO’s The White Lotus will take place in a vegan resort

Season 4 of The White Lotus is in development — and the next season will take place at a fully vegan, eco-conscious resort!

The show creator Mike White explained: “I’ve been vegan for years, so I’ve been quietly manifesting a season that reflects some of those values.”

It’s really nice to see more and more vegans come forward and openly express their values in whatever field they work in. Mike White’s explanation reminded me of an article about Lucas Bravo from the show Emily in Paris. In this article, Bravo mentioned that he would love for his character’s restaurant to become vegan: “It’s something I’ve been talking about with Darren and producers for two years now, and I hope it’s going to happen.”

Seeing more vegan representation in series and movies can help shape cultural norms and influence people’s attitudes, so this is a very positive development!

Speaking of positive developments…

EU Commission commits to boosting domestic production of plant-based foods

Members of the European Parliament called for a comprehensive EU strategy to diversify protein sources, aiming to support plant-based options and reduce reliance on imported feed.

This effort, spearheaded by MEPs Strolenberg and Friis, prompted a commitment from Agriculture Commissioner Hansen to develop such a plan.

On LinkedIn, Strolenberg called this a “(Small) victory for plant-based proteins.”

Speaking of plant-based victories…

Rapid growth for the plant-based dairy market in Western Europe and North America

The plant-based dairy market in Western Europe and North America is growing at an unprecedented rate. It reached $11.55 billion (€10.7 billion) in 2023, up from $7.34 billion (€6.8 billion) in 2019 — a compund annual growth rate of 12%.

And, in even more positive news, a recent global survey found that 58% of respondents were open to switching to plant-based dairy!

You can read more about this here.

🤗 How you can help animals

It feels great to read through positive news. What’s even better is to contribute to them!

Remember, the whole animal advocacy movement is still in its early phase, and we can use all hands on deck. That means that your contribution is uniquely valuable and important at this time!

💡 If you want to become a more effective vegan advocate, the Center for Effective Vegan Advocacy has you covered (with free courses and communication hacks). 💡

Here’s how you can be a part of the solution:

1. You can donate to an organization that effectively helps animals, such as the Animal Charity Evaluators or the Animal Welfare Fund. You can find out more about effective animal welfare donations here.

2. You can volunteer for animals. If you don’t have a lot of time, the Humane League’s Fast Action Network might be a good choice, as it allows you to contribute when you can (for instance, while waiting in a queue). If you have more time, you can find a lot of volunteering opportunities here.

3. If you are not yet a vegan, you can become a vegan ally (see this YouTube video for an explanation) and support the cause by reducing your consumption of animal products. If you want support in becoming more vegan, there are many vegan challenges, such as this one.

4. If you would like community, you can join Hive Newsletter’s Slack channel and connect with 3000+ animal advocates. I joined last year and it’s amazing! My only regret is that I didn’t join earlier. :)

Warmly,
Louise