Bridging the Human-Animal Gap: the Intersection of Sexism, Racism, and Speciesism

Understanding the connection between different forms of oppression is relevant both in the political movement for animal rights and the political movements for social justice and human equality. I argue that sexism, racism, and speciesism intersect in such a way that each form of oppression depends on and mutually reinforces the others. In the struggle for justice, inequalities cannot be compartmentalized and the approach cannot be single issue because leaving groups behind means leaving the oppressive systems intact, perpetuating all forms of oppression, and undermining the efforts of each campaign. By recognizing sexism, racism, and speciesism as inextricably linked, each movement can be made more successful by approaching inequality as a bundled political problem instead of as distinct and independent forms of injustice.