Pawsibilities Vet Med’s Post

Introduction To Inclusive Terminology - Coming Soon! ㅤ We find that people often struggle with terminology: What should you not say? What can you say? What do all these terms mean? We recently delivered a Lunch and Learn at BSAVA Congress of four bitesize talks covering the terminology of EDI in general, the LGBT+ community, the disabled, chronic illness, and neurodivergent community, and the terminology surrounding race and ethnicity. We're now launching these talks as a pack of webinars to purchase. Perfect for a cinema-style Lunch and Learn at your practice, for listening to on your drive to work, or for clocking up those CPD hours lying in bed! All a grand total of only £19.99 for over an hour's worth of content. Coming soon in June 2024 - sign up now to be notified when sales go live: https://vist.ly/y957 ㅤ Affinity Futures Team ㅤ Facebook: Affinity Futures Twitter: affinityfutures LinkedIn: affinityfutures Website: www.affinityfutures.com ㅤ #allyship #activeallyship #vetallyship #veterinary #vet #vetnurse #vetvoices #vetmed #inclusivity #veterinarymedicine #veterinarynurse #rvn #diversity #veterinarian #inclusivityintheworkplace #chronicillness #disability #neurodiversity #neurodivergence #race #ethnicity #lgbt #pride #terminology #edi #diversity #inclusion #belonging

As someone usually advocating for animal rights, today, I want to raise a different yet equally important issue. In 1999, I was a victim of a hate crime – a nail bombing by an extremist targeting the LGBT+, Black, and Asian communities in London. At that time, I was a child and I didn’t really understand racism or even why I was in a targeted group. Twenty-five years later, racism still pervades every aspect of our lives— in the workplace, at home and in the news. But I still do not understand racism fully. It is deeply rooted in society, fueled by a complex interplay of historical, cultural, economic, institutional, and social factors. Racism manifests not only in overt discrimination but also in subtle, systemic, and structural forms that perpetuate inequality. I recall a leader in a previous workplace once proudly saying “I don’t see colour, I just see people”. Whilst I appreciate the sentiment and that in his eyes, we are all equal, the problem is that society repeatedly makes us (people of all ethnicities) feel like we are not. Statements like this can feel unhelpful, especially from leaders. Prejudice of all kinds is so deeply rooted in our society that it is often ingrained in our thoughts and behaviors from a young age, shaping our perceptions without us even realising it. I think we all have a responsibility to overcome our conscious and unconscious biases by taking the time to continually educate ourselves, better understand different perspectives and challenge our assumptions. It’s not enough to be passively non-racist; we must be actively anti-racist. I was fortunate that I didn’t suffer any physical injuries in the 1999 bombings but I carry the experience with me through life and it serves as a reminder of the importance of kindness and empathy. Let’s commit to building a more inclusive and equitable world and be active in the journey of learning and growth. 

Is animal freedom the next step in our progress as a society? 🐖 From the abolition of slavery to the universal suffrage movement to LGBT+ rights, history is punctuated by moments when we've chosen the path of greater fairness and justice. 🏳🌈✊ Can framing animal freedom as the next logical step in our social progress be the answer? According to our latest research, the answer is yes. ✅ This #NationalStorytellingWeek, we're diving into the persuasive narrative of social progress. The Animal Freedom movement, whether aware of it or not, already taps into this narrative in their campaigns. 🎥 Check out this video from The Vegan Society, a brilliant example of the social progress narrative according to our Narrative Lead, Beth Thomas. ❝𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘸𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘦, 𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘣𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳.❝ 👇 Do you know of any other campaigns that use this narrative? Let us know in the comments! . . . Video credit: https://lnkd.in/erWHRvqh #animalrights #socialjustice #socialprogress #humanrights

Did you miss LoR's April webinar highlighting the Invisible Advocates in animal welfare? Click on the link below for the recording. And if you did attend, what were some of your learnings? One of my take-aways -- as someone who aspires to share information with people (especially young people) about animal issues -- is to pay attention to the wave of anti-DEI bills that could prevent students from learning about race, gender, and LGBTQ+ issues in school. Efforts to withhold knowledge threaten all social movements, including the animal protection movement. How can we support other social justice organizations fighting these bills? https://lnkd.in/gZhDf_Ri #socialjustice #animalwelfare #animalrights #DEI #knowledgeispower

📘 𝓔𝓵𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓡𝓮𝓼𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓬𝓮 📘 The Women’s Foundation of Colorado just released our 2024 ballot guide, The Womanifesto. Why do we do a ballot guide? Simply, voting is our opportunity to ensure Colorado continues to be a leading state for women’s safety, opportunity, and prosperity. It’s no secret that women’s freedoms are on the line in 2024. People who are threatened by equal rights for women, LGBTQ+ people, and people of color want to roll back our progress. But with our votes, we can maintain control of our bodies, families, and economic futures. We can ensure that we as Coloradans have the freedom and means to pursue own paths to happiness & prosperity. The Women’s Foundation has taken positions on three statewide ballot measures and four local ballot measures that will protect the progress we’ve made as Colorado women and continue to advance opportunity. Our ballot guide, The Womanifesto, is easy to download, read, and share (unlike a certain Blue Book you just received in your mailbox at 88 pages long!). Still, you may have questions for the experts and need more information. That’s why we’re hosting “Ballots & Bubbles” on Weds, Oct. 16, at the Posner Center for International Development from 5-7 pm. We sincerely hope you’ll join us (and bring friends) to ask your questions, enjoy a beverage, and discuss your plan to vote! Street parking is easy and free. https://lnkd.in/gNViBWVj

Alarm to Action 🏳️⚧️💪🏾💪🏻💪🏿🏳️🌈 Anti-LGBTQ+ bill writing and national strategy is entrenched in 2024 as a result of the 2022 and 2023 state legislative and congressional sessions. The track record of successful bills passed into law has emboldened lawmakers to delve deeper into the potential of additional restrictions on queer existence. Already we have seen efforts to restrict gender affirming care for trans adults in Ohio, removal of access to appropriate gender markers on licenses in Florida, and group discussion by Ohio and Michigan representatives to eliminate trans rights entirely that echo calls for ‘eradication’ of trans people at CPAC 2023. Additionally, national primary debates were punctuated by a litany of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric and plans. As of mid- February there were a staggering 429 active anti-LGBTQ+ bills in state legislatures with 2 laws already passed and one governor veto overridden. Please read the Alarm to Action press release linked below and in our bio, and follow the 7 steps to be part of the solution. Step 1: Vote Step 2: Contact Your Representatives Step 3: Educate Step 4: Create Safe, Brave Spaces Step 5: Outreach Step 6: Partner & Collaborate Step 7: Create Contingency Plans Read on (link also in bio): https://buff.ly/432aXGp buff.ly/48Pclxq #vote #bettertogether #loveplusactionwins #vetmedpride #bethechange #ally

More bizarre interpretations of bourgeois law. As with the series of constitutional crises in the US, indicative of an entire legal superstructure that (like capital itself) is no longer fit to interpret or adjudicate the world around it.

Great learning opportunities

Challenging Unseen Barriers: Our blog delves into the unconscious biases that often overshadow the abilities of persons with disabilities. Discover how we can all cultivate a more inclusive mindset. 🌍 Read more and join the conversation on challenging these hidden biases. Click on the link : https://lnkd.in/dnidAgcQ #inclusion #accessibility #disabilityawareness #unseenbarriers #equalityforall #biasfree #awareness #inclusive #disabilityrights #socialchange #equalopportunities #advocacy

On request sharing some points I raised during the conference on #genderequlity. I do not agree to the reports suggesting that #India has been placed 127th out of 146 countries concerning #genderparity. The crux of the matter lies in our failure to acknowledge the contributions of women operating in the shadows—those in the informal sectors. The sectors with significant female presence often overlooked by mainstream policymakers include domestic work, home-based garment production, street vending, agricultural labour and small-scale businesses such as art and crafts. These sectors are vital contributors to the economy but often lack recognition and support from policymakers. Gender should be confined to binary categorization (Male or Female) on forms only, not to extend beyond mere labels. Women have progressed in every field, but their presence may not yet be felt fully due to the recent nature of this change—barely 25 years or so. The primary challenge lies in integrating women from the informal unorganised sector workforce into the mainstream and ensuring the availability of this data in government records. It is Imperative to alter the mindsets of young parents towards achieving parity fort their children. Schools play a crucial role in this change in thinking by encouraging greater participation of girls in sports. Additionally, there is a pressing need to develop infrastructure, policies, and communities with a perspective sensitive to women's need. Another significant hurdle is the promotion of solidarity among women, which demands concerted efforts from all quarters. Women to support women at home, industry and be a conduit for progress. The debate on gender equality is not merely a discourse; it demands action. Centre for Gender And Politics (CGAP)Global Counter Terrorism Council