FYI, I recently did extensive rewriting of last year’s animal testing post.
Also, there is some interesting discussion in the blogosphere about intersectionality (which is the crossover inter-relationship of seemingly disparate single-focus issues): feminism and animal rights (a first step), young folks and intersectionality and others (check the Vegans of Color, The Vegan Ideal and B*tch Blogs for more).
In other news, there is a growing division in the animal rights movement between Animal Welfare reform activists and Abolitionists; Pattrice Jones wrote an interesting article about this: Strategic Analysis of Animal Welfare Legislation (a guide for the perplexed) which addresses the California 2008 Proposition 2 measure controversy (which seems like a step in the right direction in terms of Animal Welfare, but is weak with loopholes, see the exceptions section of the document).
If you don’t already know about Abolitionist Animal Rights theory, it boils down to the idea that non-human animals are currently considered property (or resources) and that no meaninful protections can be enacted while they’re allowed to be property (which essentially makes them “things”) because property ownership interests will always triumph over the interests of the property itself. The legal and cultural property status of non-human animals is akin to the institution of human slavery (when it was legal). Abolitionists seek to abolish the property status of any and all animals and enact a basic right to life (that is, the right not to be killed (or otherwise treated solely) as a resource).
