DJ Tigerlily: “I’m Vegan Because I’m a Feminist”

Australian musician Dara Hayes—professionally known as “DJ Tigerlily”—urged all feminists to go vegan in a recent op-ed she penned for Australian outlet Daily Telegraph. “As a female DJ in a male-dominated industry, I’ve learnt to speak up for myself. I’ve railed against those who try to tell me what I should and should not do with my own body, and I’ve negotiated for pay equal to that of my male peers,” Hayes wrote. “But while I continue my fight against the patriarchy, I can’t help but notice that there are other females around me who are literally fighting for their lives: the millions of animals suffering in the meat, dairy, and egg industries.” A long time vegan, Hayes explains that while cows can naturally live up to 25 years, female cows undergo many unnatural pregnancies and are typically slaughtered when they are only six years old. “We fail to recognize that animals in these industries are often exploited because of their femaleness. We exploit them specifically for their reproductive organs and capabilities,” Hayes wrote. “Just imagine if that happened to female humans. Surely that’s what Margaret Atwood was thinking when she wrote The Handmaid’s Tale—there are moments in that series that could easily be mistaken for real-life scenes from a typical commercial dairy farm.” The musician points to vegan actress Natalie Portman, who holds similar beliefs about the connection between veganism and feminism—a view Portman expressed during a speech in April at the We Day conference in front of 16,000 youth activists. “Three times a day, I show my compassion by eating vegan meals,” Hayes concluded her op-ed. “That seems like the least I can do to stand up for all my sisters.”