The animal rights organization "People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals," better known simply as "PETA," took to Twitter last week to denounce the use of animal names as insults or slurs.
In a tweet containing a graphic with examples of these slurs, PETA claimed that, “Calling someone an animal as an insult reinforces the myth that humans are superior to other animals & justified in violating them."
Words can create a more inclusive world, or perpetuate oppression.
— PETA (@peta) January 26, 2021
Calling someone an animal as an insult reinforces the myth that humans are superior to other animals & justified in violating them.
Stand up for justice by rejecting supremacist language. pic.twitter.com/HFmMWDcc5A
The group further explained their position with a series of tweets in a thread following the graphic.
Anti-animal slurs degrade animals by applying negative human traits to certain species.
— PETA (@peta) January 26, 2021
Perpetuating the idea that animals are sly, dirty, or heartless desensitizes the public and normalizes violence against other animals.
Speciesist language isn’t just harmful, but it is also inaccurate.
— PETA (@peta) January 26, 2021
Pigs, for instance, are intelligent, lead complex social lives, and show empathy for other pigs in distress. Snakes are clever, have family relationships, and prefer to associate with their relatives.
PETA urges everyone who believes in equality and justice to take a look at their personal beliefs and the language they use, and break free of this outdated mindset that denigrates other animals.
— PETA (@peta) January 26, 2021
Always be kind and consider not using insults at all.
As with many of PETA’s controversial stances, the tweets were met with heavy criticism from people on both sides of the political spectrum, most of whom rightly thought the whole thing was as silly as it sounded. One Twitter user replied to the tweet saying that the organization was making vegans look “ridiculous."
6 years vegan, please stop making us look ridiculous.
— Jessica (@jessicakeogh) January 26, 2021
PETA is constantly outdoing themselves with their ridiculous stances on animal rights. Don't be surprised if they somehow one-up themselves with something even more absurd, maybe they'll call for animals to be paid for their labor or demand animal's suffrage.