The Hen Report: “Strange Bedfellows” | Navigating Alliances in Animal Rights Advocacy

In this thought-provoking episode of The Hen Report, Mariann Sullivan is joined by Cornell Law professor and animal advocate Michael Dorf to explore the complex phenomenon of “strange bedfellows” in the animal rights movement. They examine how activists navigate situations where they find themselves aligned with unexpected allies on animal issues, while potentially disagreeing on other social and political matters.

This episode explores:

• The Trump administration’s surprising move to phase out government funding for animal testing, led by RFK Jr.
• How animal advocates can strategically respond when political figures they otherwise oppose champion animal causes
• The controversy surrounding FarmKind’s “Forget Veganuary” campaign and its problematic offsetting approach
• The evolution of veganism over the past two decades and its increasing mainstream recognition
• The challenges of coalition-building while maintaining core animal rights principles

RESOURCES

• • • • Doctors Group Applauds Commitment by RFK Jr. to Replacing Animal Experiments, Proposes Five Priorities for 2026
      • U.S. Military Ends Practice of Shooting Live Animals to Train Medics to Treat Battlefield Wounds
      • Veganuary champion quits to run meat-eating campaign
      • Former Veganuary champion quits to run meat-eating campaign – saying vegan dogma is ‘damaging’ to goal of reducing animal suffering
  •  We are thrilled to expand the accessibility of our podcast by offering written transcripts of the interviews! Click here to read this episode's interview.

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