Do you know what is far more offensive than a graphic video of a cow being sexually assaulted during artificial insemination? Actually being the victim of sexual assault, which is of course what cows are subjected to for the production of most of the world’s dairy products.

That’s what makes the reaction to PETA’s  (People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals)  new video The Pregnancy Gun so laughable. The cartoon graphic (that’s right, a cartoon!) was deemed so abhorrent that it only lasted two weeks in 21 Wisconsin’s stores – the state dubbed ‘America’s Dairyland’ due to its exceptionally high production of cheese – before it was pulled.

As a vegan, watching the video is upsetting for sure. But that’s only due to an awareness that the horrors of dairy farming happen on a such a huge scale every single day.

For a vegan, feeling uncomfortable watching the video is well worth the end goal of raising awareness of such brutal practices, and hopefully convincing people to change their habits.

The only real difference in how emotive The Pregnancy Gun is for vegans and non-vegans is the potential for the latter to feel guilt about their consumption of dairy.

So for a non-vegan watching the video, there’s a very simple logic to follow here: If you don’t feel guilty, then don’t be offended. If you do feel guilty, then go vegan!

PETA executive vice president Tracy Reiman put it perfectly. “The Pregnancy Gun aimed to remind viewers that milk and cheese come from sexually assaulted cows,” she said.

“PETA encourages anyone left with a bad taste in his or her mouth by this video to ditch dairy ‘products’ in favor of soy, almond, coconut, or oat milks; creamy vegan cheeses; and other non-dairy foods.”

What do you think about the campaign? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below!

Oli Gross

Oli’s career and personal ethical values both help shape his reporting of the diverse world of veganism. His background is in local newspaper and magazine journalism, and his work has included reporting court cases, celebrity interviews, business analysis, food and drink features and government legislation.

See author's posts