Guest guest Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 Posted by: Animal on http://PEJ.org Sunday, September 10, 2006 - 02:40 PM 323 Reads Body Modification E-Zine - Kathryn - January 9, 2005: As much as tattooing has seen a sudden rise in popularity this last decade, it still remains fairly taboo in most milieus. What pushes someone to go against the grain and mark their body permanently? As you probably know, the motivations vary greatly from one individual to another. For some it is simply a question of esthetics, for others it is a way of marking a period in their life — but for many, it is a way to etch their beliefs and their passions into their skin forever, whether as a little forget-me-not, or to use their body as a billboard to express themselves, to convey a message, and even invite dialogue... and vegan activists certainly number among those with a dialogue to share. www.BMEzine.com “Those who claim to care about the well-being of human beings and the preservation of our environment should become vegetarians for that reason alone. They would thereby increase the amount of grain available to feed people elsewhere, reduce pollution, save water and energy, and cease contributing to the clearing of forests.” “When non-vegetarians say that ‘human problems come first’ I cannot help wondering what exactly it is that they are doing for human beings that compels them to continue to support the wasteful, ruthless exploitation of farm animals.” - Peter Singer, Animal Liberation, 1990. I got the word “Vegan” tattooed on the back of my neck early 2004, and it serves exactly that purpose — I wanted it to be a strong affirmation of something that plays a huge role in my life and something I believe in deeply. I have been vegan for six years, and I really wanted to get a tattoo relating to veganism that would be visible; I wanted people to react to it. So I got a simple, but very bold design tattooed on the back of my neck. Although most of the feedback I have received about this tattoo and its placement has been very positive, I have found that a lot of people did not even know what the word vegan means. I attribute that partly to the fact that I live in a French speaking area, but also to the fact that vegans are still few and far between (though our numbers keep growing), and that veganism is not something that will pop up in mainstream media very often. So, what is a “vegan” you ask? Plainly put, a vegan is a strict vegetarian. Not only do vegans not eat meat, they keep all animal products out of their diet. They do not eat milk, cheese, eggs, and any of their by-products (lactose, cysteine, gelatin, and so on) It is important to point out that, although veganism started out as a diet, today it has evolved into a full fledged lifestyle. Vegans apply their ethics in all aspects of their lives, be it by avoiding animal-derived garments such as leather, silk and wool, or by buying only products that were not tested on animals. Veganism is more than just a diet. It reaches out to a broad spectrum of lifestyle and dietary choices, and what motivates people to adopt this way of life can vary from one person to another. I believe it is safe to say that for most vegans, it is their compassion that pushed them to change their ways. Veganism is a strong statement for animal rights, and helps reduce unnecessary cruelty and exploitation of non-human animals. It is also a statement for the environment, since factory farming is taking a huge toll on the health of our beautiful planet by polluting the air and water, and destroying land. Other people may be interested in veganism for spiritual reasons, be it personal or religious (for example, Buddhists and Krishna devotees are often vegetarian or vegan). And last but not least, there are important health and nutrition factors that influence many in becoming, and staying vegan. More and more scientific research is showing a growing support of vegetarian diets. They have been proven to prevent many illnesses, such as heart disease. Veganism also keeps you from absorbing hormones found in dairy products and meat, which have been linked to all sorts of health problems. So what is the link between veganism and tattooing? Many vegans, such as myself, have chosen to get a tattoo to celebrate their beliefs. Vegan-related tattoos can take different forms, be it a simple script, such as my tattoo, or more complex tattoos dealing with animal rights subjects. But beyond choosing which tattoo to get, when the time comes to get tattooed, and to take care of a new tattoo, a lot of us will have to ask the question: Is it vegan? And unfortunately, more often than not, the answer is no. For starters, tattoo ink is not always vegan. It almost always contains glycerin as a carrier (the carrier is the liquid that the pigment is suspended in). ... The company Stable says that their ink is “safe for vegans”, but few companies bother to make such claims. Other than glycerin, other ingredients in ink can be non-vegan as well, the most common being black pigment, which is often made from bone black (made by burning animal bones down to a charcoal). Avoiding non-vegan products within the tattoo world is not an easy quest. And it does not end when you walk out of the tattoo studio either. The majority of aftercare products sold or recommend by tattooists are not vegan. ... Having a vegan tattoo is not always a simple task, but a lot of vegans are marching on and getting vegan-related tattoos anyways. ...I spoke to a couple of people who have vegan-related tattoos to try to find out more on the subject, and see what motivated them to get something considered by many to be “extreme” tattooed on their bodies. ... Sophie is 30 years old and lives in southern Ontario. She works in the financial sector, in IT. She enjoys photography, knitting, and rescuing cats. (Her name has been changed to protect her identity).How long have you been vegan? I’ve been vegan off and on since I was twelve but this time it’s permanent and has been four years. I got the tattoo this year in the summer. Why did you pick the Animal Liberation Front logo? It represents my struggle to fight for animal liberation everyday — in the foods I chose to eat, to the clothes I wear, to the products I buy, to the rescuing of stray cats. It reaffirms my commitment to veganism and animal rights. I chose the ALF logo because the ALF embodies exactly what I believe in: animal liberation. What are people’s reactions when they see your tattoo? Only a few people know I have seen it and they are also ARAs (animal rights activists). So there have not been any negative reactions. A couple of people have seen it in passing (that are not involved with animal rights) and have asked, “What’s that?” Since they didn’t see it clearly enough I just say it’s a different version of the anarchy symbol. What are your reasons for wanting to keep this tattoo a secret? Because the government (US and Canadian) will find any reason to track down, question and arrest animal rights activists in the name of “domestic terrorism”. I don’t want to give them any more fuel to their fire. Also, as of last year, I am “known” to them as an ARA and affiliated with certain other “known” ARAs. The ALF is still controversial even in vegan and animal rights circles. I find that arguing about the ALF with vegan and other ARAs who are against them a waste of time. It does nothing to help the animals because we can argue whether we agree with them or not until our faces turn blue, but it is not addressing the real issues here which are animal exploitation of any kind (food, clothing, “science”, entertainment, and so on). Do you regret this tattoo? Would you ever get more vegan-related tattoos? No regrets at all. I would love to get more vegan tattoos, but more specifically AR related tattoos. I just don’t know what yet. Diego is 20 years old and lives in Mexico City. He goes to school full time and has two majors: Latin American studies and translation. In his spare time, he likes to play bass and travel.When did you get your tattoo? I have been vegan for approximately three years now, although I was vegetarian for almost a year before that. I got the tattoo done in October of 2003, after about two years of being vegan. How did you choose the designs and location? The tattoo represents something I believe in very deeply, which is animal liberation. I believe that all sentient beings have the right to live without pain. Since products obtained from their bodies usually imply suffering, and because these products are not indispensable for humans in modern societies to survive or even live well, the creation of these products is unethical. And I do not want any part of it. Animal liberation means that I will do my best to avoid having a hand in causing suffering to animals. Because of my beliefs in animal liberation, I have changed many aspects of my life, including my consumption habits (diet) and my interaction with animals in general (including humans). The design and placement of the tattoo were rather arbitrary: I thought it would be nice to get old school lettering on my feet, and figured that “LIBERACIÓN ANIMAL” would be good (because I’d wanted to get vegan-related tattoo work). I mentioned this to a friend one day, and he said that he knew a guy who was finishing his apprenticeship but was still tattooing for free, so the next day I went with him and got the tattoo done. Rather spur of the moment, I know, but I’m pretty happy with it. What are people's reactions when they see your feet? Reactions have been very positive because most of my friends are vegans and vegetarians. It’s not a tattoo that gets seen much by people I don’t want to show it to, but when it is, they think it means something else. It’s not like people know much about veganism in Mexico — I’ve had people accuse me of making the concept up! It crashes so hard with so many of their ideas regarding life that they’ve been unable to even believe in it’s existence. ... Do you plan on getting more vegan-related tattoos? Actually yes, I want to cover both of my feet and my ankles with vegan-related tattoos. But they’re going to be much more symbolic designs; I don’t think I’ll get any more lettering. I’ll probably get images of empty cages and animals, something more abstract. ... Every vegan has a different story to tell about how he or she became vegan and adopted the lifestyle. Every vegan has different motives and aspirations, just like every person has his own reasons for getting tattoos. There are vegans in every walk of life, in every part of the world. Chances are there is someone around you that is vegan. It should not be dismissed as just a trend or a phase. Most vegans feel as strongly about their ideals as you’ve read and seen here. If you’d like to learn a little more about veganism, I recommend you start with the websites Vegan.com, Vegan Outreach, Vegan Health, and GoVeg.com. - Kathryn Kathryn is a 22-year old Albertan transposed to Quebec, Canada, and currently works at Imago Tattoo Studio in Montreal. Online presentation copyright © 2005 Shannon Larratt and BMEzine.com. This article has been shortened for purposes of posting to www.PEJ.org; for the full article please see www.bmezine.com/news/guest/20050109.html.Peter H All new Mail "The new Interface is stunning in its simplicity and ease of use." - PC Magazine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 a few years back there was a huge interest in vegan tats on a bunch of different chat sites i was on... peter VV Sep 12, 2006 12:04 PM Re: Vegan Body Art Posted by: Animal on http://PEJ.org Sunday, September 10, 2006 - 02:40 PM 323 Reads Body Modification E-Zine - Kathryn - January 9, 2005: As much as tattooing has seen a sudden rise in popularity this last decade, it still remains fairly taboo in most milieus. What pushes someone to go against the grain and mark their body permanently? As you probably know, the motivations vary greatly from one individual to another. For some it is simply a question of esthetics, for others it is a way of marking a period in their life but for many, it is a way to etch their beliefs and their passions into their skin forever, whether as a little forget-me-not, or to use their body as a billboard to express themselves, to convey a message, and even invite dialogue... and vegan activists certainly number among those with a dialogue to share. www.BMEzine.com Those who claim to care about the well-being of human beings and the preservation of our environment should become vegetarians for that reason alone. They would thereby increase the amount of grain available to feed people elsewhere, reduce pollution, save water and energy, and cease contributing to the clearing of forests. When non-vegetarians say that human problems come first I cannot help wondering what exactly it is that they are doing for human beings that compels them to continue to support the wasteful, ruthless exploitation of farm animals. - Peter Singer, Animal Liberation, 1990. I got the word Vegan tattooed on the back of my neck early 2004, and it serves exactly that purpose I wanted it to be a strong affirmation of something that plays a huge role in my life and something I believe in deeply. I have been vegan for six years, and I really wanted to get a tattoo relating to veganism that would be visible; I wanted people to react to it. So I got a simple, but very bold design tattooed on the back of my neck. Although most of the feedback I have received about this tattoo and its placement has been very positive, I have found that a lot of people did not even know what the word vegan means. I attribute that partly to the fact that I live in a French speaking area, but also to the fact that vegans are still few and far between (though our numbers keep growing), and that veganism is not something that will pop up in mainstream media very often. So, what is a vegan you ask? Plainly put, a vegan is a strict vegetarian. Not only do vegans not eat meat, they keep all animal products out of their diet. They do not eat milk, cheese, eggs, and any of their by-products (lactose, cysteine, gelatin, and so on) It is important to point out that, although veganism started out as a diet, today it has evolved into a full fledged lifestyle. Vegans apply their ethics in all aspects of their lives, be it by avoiding animal-derived garments such as leather, silk and wool, or by buying only products that were not tested on animals. Veganism is more than just a diet. It reaches out to a broad spectrum of lifestyle and dietary choices, and what motivates people to adopt this way of life can vary from one person to another. I believe it is safe to say that for most vegans, it is their compassion that pushed them to change their ways. Veganism is a strong statement for animal rights, and helps reduce unnecessary cruelty and exploitation of non-human animals. It is also a statement for the environment, since factory farming is taking a huge toll on the health of our beautiful planet by polluting the air and water, and destroying land. Other people may be interested in veganism for spiritual reasons, be it personal or religious (for example, Buddhists and Krishna devotees are often vegetarian or vegan). And last but not least, there are important health and nutrition factors that influence many in becoming, and staying vegan. More and more scientific research is showing a growing support of vegetarian diets. They have been proven to prevent many illnesses, such as heart disease. Veganism also keeps you from absorbing hormones found in dairy products and meat, which have been linked to all sorts of health problems. So what is the link between veganism and tattooing? Many vegans, such as myself, have chosen to get a tattoo to celebrate their beliefs. Vegan-related tattoos can take different forms, be it a simple script, such as my tattoo, or more complex tattoos dealing with animal rights subjects. But beyond choosing which tattoo to get, when the time comes to get tattooed, and to take care of a new tattoo, a lot of us will have to ask the question: Is it vegan? And unfortunately, more often than not, the answer is no. For starters, tattoo ink is not always vegan. It almost always contains glycerin as a carrier (the carrier is the liquid that the pigment is suspended in). ... The company Stable says that their ink is safe for vegans, but few companies bother to make such claims. Other than glycerin, other ingredients in ink can be non-vegan as well, the most common being black pigment, which is often made from bone black (made by burning animal bones down to a charcoal). Avoiding non-vegan products within the tattoo world is not an easy quest. And it does not end when you walk out of the tattoo studio either. The majority of aftercare products sold or recommend by tattooists are not vegan. ... Having a vegan tattoo is not always a simple task, but a lot of vegans are marching on and getting vegan-related tattoos anyways. ...I spoke to a couple of people who have vegan-related tattoos to try to find out more on the subject, and see what motivated them to get something considered by many to be extreme tattooed on their bodies. ... Sophie is 30 years old and lives in southern Ontario. She works in the financial sector, in IT. She enjoys photography, knitting, and rescuing cats. (Her name has been changed to protect her identity).How long have you been vegan? Ive been vegan off and on since I was twelve but this time its permanent and has been four years. I got the tattoo this year in the summer. Why did you pick the Animal Liberation Front logo? It represents my struggle to fight for animal liberation everyday in the foods I chose to eat, to the clothes I wear, to the products I buy, to the rescuing of stray cats. It reaffirms my commitment to veganism and animal rights. I chose the ALF logo because the ALF embodies exactly what I believe in: animal liberation. What are peoples reactions when they see your tattoo? Only a few people know I have seen it and they are also ARAs (animal rights activists). So there have not been any negative reactions. A couple of people have seen it in passing (that are not involved with animal rights) and have asked, Whats that? Since they didnt see it clearly enough I just say its a different version of the anarchy symbol. What are your reasons for wanting to keep this tattoo a secret? Because the government (US and Canadian) will find any reason to track down, question and arrest animal rights activists in the name of domestic terrorism. I dont want to give them any more fuel to their fire. Also, as of last year, I am known to them as an ARA and affiliated with certain other known ARAs. The ALF is still controversial even in vegan and animal rights circles. I find that arguing about the ALF with vegan and other ARAs who are against them a waste of time. It does nothing to help the animals because we can argue whether we agree with them or not until our faces turn blue, but it is not addressing the real issues here which are animal exploitation of any kind (food, clothing, science, entertainment, and so on). Do you regret this tattoo? Would you ever get more vegan-related tattoos? No regrets at all. I would love to get more vegan tattoos, but more specifically AR related tattoos. I just dont know what yet. Diego is 20 years old and lives in Mexico City. He goes to school full time and has two majors: Latin American studies and translation. In his spare time, he likes to play bass and travel.When did you get your tattoo? I have been vegan for approximately three years now, although I was vegetarian for almost a year before that. I got the tattoo done in October of 2003, after about two years of being vegan. How did you choose the designs and location? The tattoo represents something I believe in very deeply, which is animal liberation. I believe that all sentient beings have the right to live without pain. Since products obtained from their bodies usually imply suffering, and because these products are not indispensable for humans in modern societies to survive or even live well, the creation of these products is unethical. And I do not want any part of it. Animal liberation means that I will do my best to avoid having a hand in causing suffering to animals. Because of my beliefs in animal liberation, I have changed many aspects of my life, including my consumption habits (diet) and my interaction with animals in general (including humans). The design and placement of the tattoo were rather arbitrary: I thought it would be nice to get old school lettering on my feet, and figured that LIBERACIÓN ANIMAL would be good (because Id wanted to get vegan-related tattoo work). I mentioned this to a friend one day, and he said that he knew a guy who was finishing his apprenticeship but was still tattooing for free, so the next day I went with him and got the tattoo done. Rather spur of the moment, I know, but Im pretty happy with it. What are people's reactions when they see your feet? Reactions have been very positive because most of my friends are vegans and vegetarians. Its not a tattoo that gets seen much by people I dont want to show it to, but when it is, they think it means something else. Its not like people know much about veganism in Mexico Ive had people accuse me of making the concept up! It crashes so hard with so many of their ideas regarding life that theyve been unable to even believe in its existence. ... Do you plan on getting more vegan-related tattoos? Actually yes, I want to cover both of my feet and my ankles with vegan-related tattoos. But theyre going to be much more symbolic designs; I dont think Ill get any more lettering. Ill probably get images of empty cages and animals, something more abstract. .... Every vegan has a different story to tell about how he or she became vegan and adopted the lifestyle. Every vegan has different motives and aspirations, just like every person has his own reasons for getting tattoos. There are vegans in every walk of life, in every part of the world. Chances are there is someone around you that is vegan. It should not be dismissed as just a trend or a phase. Most vegans feel as strongly about their ideals as youve read and seen here. If youd like to learn a little more about veganism, I recommend you start with the websites Vegan.com, Vegan Outreach, Vegan Health, and GoVeg.com. - Kathryn Kathryn is a 22-year old Albertan transposed to Quebec, Canada, and currently works at Imago Tattoo Studio in Montreal. Online presentation copyright © 2005 Shannon Larratt and BMEzine.com. This article has been shortened for purposes of posting to www.PEJ.org; for the full article please see www.bmezine.com/news/guest/20050109.html. Peter H All new Mail "The new Interface is stunning in its simplicity and ease of use." - PC Magazine If George Bush said that the Earth was flat, the headline would read, "Views Differ on Shape of the Earth" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted September 12, 2006 Report Share Posted September 12, 2006 A friend at work loves having tattoes. He has a lovely design all over one arm, and is just adding to it on his shoulder, then he plans to do the other arm, and who knows where. Jo - peter VV Tuesday, September 12, 2006 8:04 PM Re: Vegan Body Art Posted by: Animal on http://PEJ.org Sunday, September 10, 2006 - 02:40 PM 323 Reads Body Modification E-Zine - Kathryn - January 9, 2005: As much as tattooing has seen a sudden rise in popularity this last decade, it still remains fairly taboo in most milieus. What pushes someone to go against the grain and mark their body permanently? As you probably know, the motivations vary greatly from one individual to another. For some it is simply a question of esthetics, for others it is a way of marking a period in their life — but for many, it is a way to etch their beliefs and their passions into their skin forever, whether as a little forget-me-not, or to use their body as a billboard to express themselves, to convey a message, and even invite dialogue... and vegan activists certainly number among those with a dialogue to share. www.BMEzine.com “Those who claim to care about the well-being of human beings and the preservation of our environment should become vegetarians for that reason alone. They would thereby increase the amount of grain available to feed people elsewhere, reduce pollution, save water and energy, and cease contributing to the clearing of forests.” “When non-vegetarians say that ‘human problems come first’ I cannot help wondering what exactly it is that they are doing for human beings that compels them to continue to support the wasteful, ruthless exploitation of farm animals.” - Peter Singer, Animal Liberation, 1990. I got the word “Vegan” tattooed on the back of my neck early 2004, and it serves exactly that purpose — I wanted it to be a strong affirmation of something that plays a huge role in my life and something I believe in deeply. I have been vegan for six years, and I really wanted to get a tattoo relating to veganism that would be visible; I wanted people to react to it. So I got a simple, but very bold design tattooed on the back of my neck. Although most of the feedback I have received about this tattoo and its placement has been very positive, I have found that a lot of people did not even know what the word vegan means. I attribute that partly to the fact that I live in a French speaking area, but also to the fact that vegans are still few and far between (though our numbers keep growing), and that veganism is not something that will pop up in mainstream media very often. So, what is a “vegan” you ask? Plainly put, a vegan is a strict vegetarian. Not only do vegans not eat meat, they keep all animal products out of their diet. They do not eat milk, cheese, eggs, and any of their by-products (lactose, cysteine, gelatin, and so on) It is important to point out that, although veganism started out as a diet, today it has evolved into a full fledged lifestyle. Vegans apply their ethics in all aspects of their lives, be it by avoiding animal-derived garments such as leather, silk and wool, or by buying only products that were not tested on animals. Veganism is more than just a diet. It reaches out to a broad spectrum of lifestyle and dietary choices, and what motivates people to adopt this way of life can vary from one person to another. I believe it is safe to say that for most vegans, it is their compassion that pushed them to change their ways. Veganism is a strong statement for animal rights, and helps reduce unnecessary cruelty and exploitation of non-human animals. It is also a statement for the environment, since factory farming is taking a huge toll on the health of our beautiful planet by polluting the air and water, and destroying land. Other people may be interested in veganism for spiritual reasons, be it personal or religious (for example, Buddhists and Krishna devotees are often vegetarian or vegan). And last but not least, there are important health and nutrition factors that influence many in becoming, and staying vegan. More and more scientific research is showing a growing support of vegetarian diets. They have been proven to prevent many illnesses, such as heart disease. Veganism also keeps you from absorbing hormones found in dairy products and meat, which have been linked to all sorts of health problems. So what is the link between veganism and tattooing? Many vegans, such as myself, have chosen to get a tattoo to celebrate their beliefs. Vegan-related tattoos can take different forms, be it a simple script, such as my tattoo, or more complex tattoos dealing with animal rights subjects. But beyond choosing which tattoo to get, when the time comes to get tattooed, and to take care of a new tattoo, a lot of us will have to ask the question: Is it vegan? And unfortunately, more often than not, the answer is no. For starters, tattoo ink is not always vegan. It almost always contains glycerin as a carrier (the carrier is the liquid that the pigment is suspended in). ... The company Stable says that their ink is “safe for vegans”, but few companies bother to make such claims. Other than glycerin, other ingredients in ink can be non-vegan as well, the most common being black pigment, which is often made from bone black (made by burning animal bones down to a charcoal). Avoiding non-vegan products within the tattoo world is not an easy quest. And it does not end when you walk out of the tattoo studio either. The majority of aftercare products sold or recommend by tattooists are not vegan. ... Having a vegan tattoo is not always a simple task, but a lot of vegans are marching on and getting vegan-related tattoos anyways. ...I spoke to a couple of people who have vegan-related tattoos to try to find out more on the subject, and see what motivated them to get something considered by many to be “extreme” tattooed on their bodies. ... Sophie is 30 years old and lives in southern Ontario. She works in the financial sector, in IT. She enjoys photography, knitting, and rescuing cats. (Her name has been changed to protect her identity).How long have you been vegan? I’ve been vegan off and on since I was twelve but this time it’s permanent and has been four years. I got the tattoo this year in the summer. Why did you pick the Animal Liberation Front logo? It represents my struggle to fight for animal liberation everyday — in the foods I chose to eat, to the clothes I wear, to the products I buy, to the rescuing of stray cats. It reaffirms my commitment to veganism and animal rights. I chose the ALF logo because the ALF embodies exactly what I believe in: animal liberation. What are people’s reactions when they see your tattoo? Only a few people know I have seen it and they are also ARAs (animal rights activists). So there have not been any negative reactions. A couple of people have seen it in passing (that are not involved with animal rights) and have asked, “What’s that?” Since they didn’t see it clearly enough I just say it’s a different version of the anarchy symbol. What are your reasons for wanting to keep this tattoo a secret? Because the government (US and Canadian) will find any reason to track down, question and arrest animal rights activists in the name of “domestic terrorism”. I don’t want to give them any more fuel to their fire. Also, as of last year, I am “known” to them as an ARA and affiliated with certain other “known” ARAs. The ALF is still controversial even in vegan and animal rights circles. I find that arguing about the ALF with vegan and other ARAs who are against them a waste of time. It does nothing to help the animals because we can argue whether we agree with them or not until our faces turn blue, but it is not addressing the real issues here which are animal exploitation of any kind (food, clothing, “science”, entertainment, and so on). Do you regret this tattoo? Would you ever get more vegan-related tattoos? No regrets at all. I would love to get more vegan tattoos, but more specifically AR related tattoos. I just don’t know what yet. Diego is 20 years old and lives in Mexico City. He goes to school full time and has two majors: Latin American studies and translation. In his spare time, he likes to play bass and travel.When did you get your tattoo? I have been vegan for approximately three years now, although I was vegetarian for almost a year before that. I got the tattoo done in October of 2003, after about two years of being vegan. How did you choose the designs and location? The tattoo represents something I believe in very deeply, which is animal liberation. I believe that all sentient beings have the right to live without pain. Since products obtained from their bodies usually imply suffering, and because these products are not indispensable for humans in modern societies to survive or even live well, the creation of these products is unethical. And I do not want any part of it. Animal liberation means that I will do my best to avoid having a hand in causing suffering to animals. Because of my beliefs in animal liberation, I have changed many aspects of my life, including my consumption habits (diet) and my interaction with animals in general (including humans). The design and placement of the tattoo were rather arbitrary: I thought it would be nice to get old school lettering on my feet, and figured that “LIBERACIÓN ANIMAL” would be good (because I’d wanted to get vegan-related tattoo work). I mentioned this to a friend one day, and he said that he knew a guy who was finishing his apprenticeship but was still tattooing for free, so the next day I went with him and got the tattoo done. Rather spur of the moment, I know, but I’m pretty happy with it. What are people's reactions when they see your feet? Reactions have been very positive because most of my friends are vegans and vegetarians. It’s not a tattoo that gets seen much by people I don’t want to show it to, but when it is, they think it means something else. It’s not like people know much about veganism in Mexico — I’ve had people accuse me of making the concept up! It crashes so hard with so many of their ideas regarding life that they’ve been unable to even believe in it’s existence. ... Do you plan on getting more vegan-related tattoos? Actually yes, I want to cover both of my feet and my ankles with vegan-related tattoos. But they’re going to be much more symbolic designs; I don’t think I’ll get any more lettering. I’ll probably get images of empty cages and animals, something more abstract. .... Every vegan has a different story to tell about how he or she became vegan and adopted the lifestyle. Every vegan has different motives and aspirations, just like every person has his own reasons for getting tattoos. There are vegans in every walk of life, in every part of the world. Chances are there is someone around you that is vegan. It should not be dismissed as just a trend or a phase. Most vegans feel as strongly about their ideals as you’ve read and seen here. If you’d like to learn a little more about veganism, I recommend you start with the websites Vegan.com, Vegan Outreach, Vegan Health, and GoVeg.com. - Kathryn Kathryn is a 22-year old Albertan transposed to Quebec, Canada, and currently works at Imago Tattoo Studio in Montreal. Online presentation copyright © 2005 Shannon Larratt and BMEzine.com. This article has been shortened for purposes of posting to www.PEJ.org; for the full article please see www.bmezine.com/news/guest/20050109.html. Peter H All new Mail "The new Interface is stunning in its simplicity and ease of use." - PC Magazine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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