Animal Rights Lexicon

This dictionary is meant to illuminate the meaning of commonly used terms used in the animal rights movement. More specific terms can be found in the other dictionaries on this site.

Animal Liberation Front (ALF)

"The Animal Liberation Front (ALF) carries out direct action against animal abuse in the form of rescuing animals and causing financial loss to animal exploiters, usually through the damage and destruction of property." No official membership exists because ALF activities are illegal; therefore all members work individually or in small cells. There is also a second section named the Animal Liberation Front Supporters Group (ALFSG). This body seeks to defend activists imprisoned, educate the public, aid and protect the ALF, publish a newsletter, and provide financially for the legal methods of the group. The ALFSG is designed for members who wish to aid in the animal rights struggle yet stay within the law. Therefore all ALFSG activities are legally conducted. [11]

Animal Liberation Front Supporters Group (ALFSG)

This is a division of the ALF called the Animal Liberation Front Supporters Group. [11] Please refer to the ALF definition above for further information on both the ALF and its Support Group.

Animal Welfare Act

The Animal Welfare Act (AWA) was created in 1966. [12] The AWA loosely controls how some animals are cared for covering “handling, treatment and transportation.” It is enforced, and I use that term loosely, by a branch of the United States Department of Agriculture named the Animal and Plant Inspection Service. The AWA does not provide protection for animals used in experimentation “retail pet stores, state and county fairs, livestock shows, rodeos, purebred dog and cat shows and ‘fairs and exhibitions intended to advance agricultural arts and sciences.” The act also excludes certain types of animals such as, “birds, all cold-blooded animals (e.g., reptiles), rats and mice bred for research, and horses and other farm animals such as cows and pigs, used or intended for use as food or fiber. Horses and other farm animals are covered if they are used in experiments, but equine animals are specifically denied coverage if they are used in entertainment events.” The protection supposedly provided by the AWA is “minimal” and worse yet is subject to the whims of individual inspectors. [13]

Demo

Short for demonstration; this is what is commonly known as a protest.

Grass(ing)

This slang term is sometimes used to describe the act of being an informant to police or other authorities. This can be done willingly or by breaking under the pressure of interrogation. If someone chooses to grass out other activists they can be ostracized from the animal rights movement. Simply, someone who has allowed themselves to be bent by the will of “authorities” on one occasion will likely break under pressure again should the situation arise. Grassing leads to more activists being harassed and/or incarcerated than would normally be if we simply said nothing.[57]

Home Demo

This is a demonstration (protest) at the home of someone involved in animal exploitation or the support thereof.

PSA

This is short for public service announcement. These are informative commercials ran on local or network television stations.

Vegan

This is a vegetarian who consumes no food which contains products derived from animals. [14] Vegans object to eating animal products based on one or more concerns including individual health, environmental issues, or moral concerns. A Vegan diet excludes the use of any food containing animal derived produce no matter how insignificant an amount used in its manufacture. The lifestyle for the majority of Vegans excludes the use of non-edible animal products as well, such as leather, wool, and down. [15]

Vegan Police

Normally a derogatory term, it refers to certain individuals who specify what is vegan based on their preferences and beliefs. Essentially, what they believe becomes the standard for calling oneself vegan. Some go so far as to say that someone is not a vegan if they use a certain product. They may also be identified as hardcore vegans, though not always so.

Vegism

This is a generic term to lump vegetarianism and veganism together. This is not to say each is the same but I often find myself using them in the same sentence towards the same purpose. Accordingly, I thought this term was the appropriate word to conjure up that would encompass both under the broadest of lexicon umbrellas. For instance, instead of saying “the vegetarian and vegan lifestyles” one could say “the vegist lifestyle” or a “lifestyle of vegism.”

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Posted/Updated: 12/06/03