Daily acts add up to meaningful change
A routine “experiment” in high
school biology class turned you
into an animal activist. What happened,
and how did it lead you to
veganism?
Seniors at my high school collected
insects for our first unit in biology. By
collect, I mean we drowned wildcaught
insects like butterflies and
honeybees in nail polish remover and
then displayed them on a board.
One time, I caught a Japanese
beetle and put her, too, in a jar of
nail polish remover to drown. I
watched as she struggled for her life
for more than 20 minutes, writhing
in agony, before succumbing to the
fumes. In those 20 minutes, not only
did I witness for myself that insects
could suffer, but I asked myself, why
did I force this animal to suffer and
die? Which, of course, led me to the
all-important question that makes
a vegan who they are: What other
suffering am I responsible for?
As I understand it, this project
is routine in schools all over the
country, and I began advocating on
Activism
Activist
Spotlight
Alicia Madden at a rally at
Fairlife’s headquarters in
Chicago. At left, the tattoo
of the beetle who inspired
her to go vegan.
Alicia Madden on the
beetle who changed her
and setting an example
the spot to end the bug project at my
school and other schools.
Tell us about the tattoo on your
arm that honors the memory of
that particular Japanese beetle.
The tattoo is how I memorialize the
animal who made me vegan. It shows
the beetle in all her natural beauty, soaring
free from a backsplash of toxic nail
polish remover. It is a depiction of freedom
and redemption that symbolizes
how it felt to wake up from the routine
of systematically abusing animals and
become an animal rights activist.
It is front and center on my bicep for
two reasons: People see it quickly and
get lured into a vegan discussion when
they ask about its meaning, and the
beetle may fly high once again whenever
I raise a peace sign for animals. The
tattoo artist used vegan, cruelty-free ink.
Although you’ve worked with
and support PETA, most of your
efforts go toward building a local
vegan and animal protection
scene. What activism do you do
in Chicago?
I started following the Slaughter
Free Chicago campaign while on tour
with PETA, and when I returned
home, I joined the campaign’s fight for
a plant-based food system and an end
to Chicago’s remaining slaughterhouses.
I also offered my media experience
to a budding group called Chicagoland
Pig Rescue, doing videography and
web design, creating social media content,
and most importantly, transporting
pigs in need. I hope to find more
groups that would like help with media
and to connect with other dedicated
activists to form powerhouse relationships
as we fight to save animals.
Please share a powerful activism
experience.
At my job, people frequently leave
dogs in their cars unattended for hours
and in all weather conditions. I find
I’m the only one who treats this as
an emergency every time it happens,
regardless of how cracked the windows
are. I ask my coworkers to call the
police, make sure management knows,
and look for the vehicle owners to give
them PETA’s “Too Hot for Spot” pamphlet
about the dangers of leaving dogs
in cars. I’m usually the butt of jokes for
this among coworkers, and I have yet
to get any meaningful feedback from
the people I call out.
However, I learned that being the
squeaky wheel and standing on your
own sets an example for others. Once,
PHOTOS COURTESY OF ALICIA MADDEN after I returned from a day off work,
Planted | 44