BT: If Dan Mathews had his own controversial animal rights campaign, what would your tagline be? DM: I’ve always thought it would be fun to have a vegan campaign aimed at gays called “Don’t be a Dairy Queen.” BT: How do you want Dan Mathews to be remembered in the future of animal rights history? (Besides being “h-o-t!”) DM: I’d like to be remembered by two simple words: any two words, as long as they’re simple. BT: In your experience, do you think compassion for animals can be taught or are you just born with it? What in your experience may be the best technique for people to finally feel empathy for animals? DM: Compassion for animals is something that every child has naturally but they are lured away from these instincts by society’s nasty habits. Our job as a movement has been to make animal rights mainstream enough that parents no longer tell kids they must eat meat or hunt or fish or wear animal skins. And it’s working! The reason I don’t get burned
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Back in the eighties, people t h o u g h t a ve g a n wa s s o m e o n e fr o m Ve g a s . I t ’s a d i ffe r e n t wo r l d n ow a n d I fe e l l u c k y t o h ave been a part of t h e r evo l u t i o n , b o t h fo r a n i m a l r i g h t s a n d g ay rights.
out after thirty years working at PETA is because I have seen so many huge shifts in our culture. Back in the eighties, people thought a vegan was someone from Vegas. It’s a different world now and I feel lucky to have been a part of the revolution, both for animal rights and gay rights. BT: Do you think being gay gave you an advantage to have empathy towards animal cruelty? How and why? DM: Attitudes toward gays have shifted much like they have for animals. People have a hard time relating to those who are different and often strike out against them in ignorance. But society is really starting to wise up at last as more enlightened generations emerge. BT: What are some future projects that Dan Mathews fans can look forward to? DM: The project I’m most excited about is promoting vegan eating in jail: not just because it’s a captive audience, but because inmates really struggle with how to better their lives. Maybe I’m inspired by people I’ve met in lock-ups after protests. I’ll soon be serving a vegan lunch to eight thousand inmates in Arizona; the food ain’t bad, but it is a bit bland. I might smuggle in some Sriracha.
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