Veganism Activists

"In the NFL, the injury rate is a 100 percent. It's a violent game. And so, how you respond to injury and how quickly you heal from injury is important because if you're not on the field, you're not helping the team. I was reading the research and seeing that a plant-based diet could be beneficial, specifically for recovery. And so I started incorporating it and I started seeing really good results with it. I was recovering better. I wasn't getting as sore. I was a lot less swollen. Basically, to confirm what I was feeling, I got my blood tested. Six months after being on the diet, all of my markers were down, my blood pressure, my cholesterol. But the main thing I was looking at was the inflammation marker in your blood and mine was... almost obsolete. It wasn't there anymore."

"I grew up in Kentucky so that's the land of casseroles and barbecue and meat. So when I transitioned over to an entirely plant-based diet, I wasn't sure if I was gonna survive. And I actually became like a machine. […] I just immediately started feeling like I could go kick ass and not need the recovery in between. It was mind-blowing to my teammates. […] I was about ready to retire, as I should've been, because I'm like 35 at that time. But I just kept getting better, and so they had to take me to the Olympics. We were complete underdogs as Team USA. In our semi-final ride against Australia, we were down by 1.7 seconds. No one's ever come back in team pursuit from a deficit that large. And we beat them on the line by eight one-hundredths of a second. I was 39 and a half years old when I stood on the Olympic podium. I'm still the oldest person, male or female, to even go to the Olympic Games in my event. My diet was the most powerful aspect to me being able to perform and produce for the US team at the Olympic Games."

"It's tough, the 400, I won't lie. The first 200 is pure speed and then the last 200, it shows who's got that speed endurance training in their legs. And obviously the last 50, you've just gotta pray because lactic is hitting hard. You need to be able to hold that endurance. … A lot of people had doubted me when I first became vegan, but my energy levels increased incredibly and my iron, my B12, everything that people said would become deficient, were amazing. I thought, I'm gonna make sure I'm beating them all on the track. I mean, we're all friends, but it was pretty cool to finish my Australian domestic season undefeated. And to win the nationals was obviously that little cherry on top."

"Around the time I was first getting into hardcore/metal/punk and going to shows, I had a lot of friends who were vegan and vegetarian and after having a few conversations with them regarding the subject I realised I'd never really thought about things the way they did. I was never pressured into anything and I found myself doing my own research on the subject matter and after finding some cold hard facts about the meat and dairy industry which disturbed me deeply, I made the decision to go veg and then a year later vegan and I've now been vegan for eleven years with no problems whatsoever."

"So many people don’t know about what happens behind closed doors in slaughterhouses and with animal testing. We’re a small minority of people up against large corporations with billions of dollars, but if we can sort of chip away and slowly spread awareness through whatever medium it is, whether it be music or television or anything, it’s going to help toward positive change. … According to PETA, some of the biggest animal-testing companies are Colgate and Gillette … and so whether it’s just having a shave in the morning or brushing their teeth with toothpaste, it’s not just women who are funding animal testing …. Changes in government legislation won’t come without social change. … [We activists] are trying to get information out to people so they know what they’re getting involved in on a daily basis."

"I found for me personally the easiest way to think about things [in the transition to veganism] was to not actually think about the products I was boycotting as food, but for what they actually were—for instance, the flesh of an animal or the embryo of a chicken."

"I can't seem to focus And you don't seem to notice I'm not here I'm just a mirror."

"I had a dream I got everything I wanted Not what you'd think And if I'm being honest It might have been a nightmare To anyone who might care"

"Do you understand? I've changed my plans 'Cause I, I'm in love With my future Can't wait to meet her And I, I'm in love But not with anybody else Just wanna get to know myself."

"I know supposedly I'm lonely now (lonely now) Know I'm supposed to be unhappy Without someone (someone) But aren't I someone? (Aren't I someone? Yeah)"

"I saw you there Too much to bear You were my life But life is far away from fair. Was I stupid to love you? Was I reckless to help? Was it obvious to everybody else That I'd fallen for a lie? You were never on my side Fool me once, fool me twice Are you death or paradise? Now you'll never see me cry There's just no time to die."

"I had a dream I got everything I wanted But when I wake up, I see You with me And you say As long as I'm here No one can hurt you Don't wanna lie here But you can learn to If I could change the way that you see yourself You wouldn't wonder why you hear "They don't deserve you""

"When I was older I was a sailor On an open sea But now I'm underwater And my skin is paler Than it should ever be"

"Wake up and smell the coffee Is your cup half full or empty?"

"Who f–king cares? The whole world suddenly decided who I was, and I didn't get to say anything or control any of it."

"Dude, my family is so musical and we always have been, and we remain that way. I grew up thinking that every family was like that."

"We are voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz because they are fighting to protect our reproductive freedom, our planet and our democracy."

"I've been a joyous person, but not a happy person. I've experienced joy and laughter, but I've also been a depressed person."

"I used to float, now I just fall down I used to know but I'm not sure now What I was made for What was I made for?"

"I have never done drugs, I’ve never got high, I’ve never smoked anything in my life. I don’t give a fuck, I never have. It’s just not interesting to me. I have other shit to do. … I know people around you doing that shit makes you want to, but you don’t have to … [her song "xanny" is] less "don’t do drugs"; it’s more "be safe" …. I don’t want my friends to die any more."

"The internet's gone wild watching movie stars on trial While they're overturning Roe v. Wade. Now all of my friends are missing again 'Cause that's what happens when you fall in love You don't have the time, you leave them all behind And you tell yourself it's fine, you're just in love. And I don't get along with anyone Maybe I'm the problem."

"You'll never know until you try it You don't have to keep it quiet And I know it makes you nervous But I promise you, it's worth it To show 'em everything you kept inside Don't hide, don't hide Too shy to say, but I hope you stay Don't hide away Come out and play"

"As grateful as I feel, I honestly don’t feel like I need to say anything but that … no one is illegal on stolen land. And, yeah, it’s just really hard to know what to say and what to do right now. I feel really hopeful in this room, and I feel like we just need to keep fighting and speaking up and protesting. Our voices really do matter and the people matter. And f–k ICE is all I wanna say, sorry."

"Billie Eilish is a cultural phenomenon. The singer and her songwriter brother, Finneas O’Connell, have created a debut body of work that transcends genres, reflecting the vast multi-artist listening habits of the music streaming generation — while at the same time tearing apart the notion of the album’s death in the age of the playlist. Oh, and she owned Coachella for fun, too."

"My whole family is really musical. My brother and my mom both write songs and my dad has always played the piano and ukulele. When we were little, my dad would make us mix tapes with songs by artists like the Beatles and Avril Lavigne, so we learned a lot from those. Even though I never really thought of being a singer, I’ve always loved it. I’ve been in the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus since I was about 8, which has helped my technique so much. It’s showed me all of the different types of classic music there are and how beautiful they can be. When I was 11 or 12, I started writing songs because it’s a good way to express your feelings. My brother is a really good songwriter so we’d give each other notes and write stuff together."

"Eilish has a disarmingly intimate, unadorned vocal style born of a two-pronged education: a member of the soft brigade of Gen Zers who grew up posting bedroom karaoke videos on YouTube, she also learned technique in the Los Angeles Children's Chorus, where blending matters more than belting."

"I've been walking through a world gone blind Can't stop thinking of your diamond mind Careful creature made friends with time He left her lonely with a diamond mind And those ocean eyes"

"Imagine going to sleep as a regular 14-year-old girl and waking up the next morning with your inbox flooded with email messages inquiring about your bourgeoning music career. That's what happened to Billie Eilish who, in 2015, made a somewhat unintentional arrival onto the music scene after uploading a track called "Ocean Eyes" to SoundCloud. Written and produced by her older brother and featuring her vocals, the song was originally created for Billie's dance teacher, who wanted to choreograph a routine to original music. Within hours, the tune garnered praise from various websites and she's been on the upswing ever since."

"Aside from singing, I'm also a dancer. I've been dancing since I was eight. Last year, one of my teachers asked if I would either write a song or have my brother write a song to choreograph a dance to. I was like, "yes, that's such a cool thing to do!" Then, my brother came to me with "Ocean Eyes", which he had originally written for his band. He told me he thought it would sound really good in my voice. He taught me the song and we sang it together along to his guitar and I loved it — it was stuck in my head for weeks. We kind of just decided that that was the song we were going to use for the dance. We put it on SoundCloud with a free download link next to it so my dance teacher could access it. We had no intentions for it, really. But basically overnight a ton of people started hearing it and sharing it. Hillydilly, a music discovery website, found it and posted it and it just got bigger and bigger. It was really surreal. Then, Danny Ruckasin, who is now my manager, reached out to my brother and was like, "dude, this is going to get huge and I think you’re going to need help along the way. I want to help you guys." We were like, "that’s swag!""

"I have this small but sure voice deep inside me that says ‘NO’ every time I witness violence and I don’t ever want to stifle that voice with apathy. Supporting animal abuse in any way quiets that voice. To hurt animals is to disconnect me from that most caring, compassionate voice. I see them as such spiritual creatures, much more awake than humans and I feel if I can accept the abuse of these innocent, sentient creatures and my role in it then I could easily become apathetic about…well, everything, and that is a scary thought. […] I had gone vegetarian when I was 11 because I was viscerally repelled by the idea of eating animal flesh and there was no way to avoid the fact that someone had been killed for that piece of meat. […] it took me until 2015 to become fully vegan. […] I think the root of this whole lifestyle is Compassion. It’s a daily reminder that we are all one. I believe veganism is what will heal this planet. […] I don’t know why we are still using our power and our blessings to quash animals. Why have we not yet assumed our rightful role as their caretakers? And every time I look into a cow’s eyes and see the gentle soul dwelling in that enormous powerful body, I feel like the animals are patiently waiting, quietly willing us to just catch on."

"I've never felt like a woman, to be honest with you. I've never felt desirable. I've never felt feminine."

"And I don't know what I'm crying for I don't think I could love you more It might not be long, but baby, I I'll love you 'til the day that I die 'Til the day that I die 'Til the light leaves my eyes 'Til the day that I die"

"What if it happened to you on a different day? On a bridge, where there wasn't a rail in the way? Or a neighborhood street where the little kids play? Or the Angeles Crest in the snow or the rain? What if you weren't alone? There were kids in the car What if you were remote? No one knows where you are If you changed anything, would you not have survived? You're alive, you're alive, you're alive."

"Birds of a feather, we should stick together, I know I said I'd never think I wasn't better alone Can't change the weather, might not be forever But if it's forever, it's even better"

"Yeah, I'm definitely successful. … I was thinking about that earlier today, because of this interview, I was like — back then I thought, it's was like the biggest it was ever going to be, and I thought, it was the most I was ever going to be recognized and it was the most anyone was going to know me... and it was the most money I was going to have, the most clothes I'd have, the most shoes I'd have — and what's crazy is: it wasn't. … "Success" is not how well people know you, it's how you're like "looked at". I genuinely did not think people would care. It's like I can't even stress it enough: I can't believe people care so much — about me. It's crazy to me."

"You ruined everything good Always said you were misunderstood Made all my moments your own Just fucking leave me alone."

"I want you to stay 'Til I'm in the grave 'Til I rot away, dead and buried 'Til I'm in the casket you carry"

"I knew you in another life You had that same look in your eyes I love you, don't act so surprised"

"If teardrops could be bottled There'd be swimming pools filled by models Told a tight dress is what makes you a whore If "I love you" was a promise Would you break it, if you're honest Tell the mirror what you know she's heard before I don't wanna be you anymore"

"Bing? Who the fuck uses Bing?"

"So you're a tough guy Like-it-really-rough guy Just-can't-get-enough guy Chest-always-so-puffed guy I'm that bad type Make-your-mama-sad type Make-your-girlfriend-mad type Might-seduce-your-dad type I'm the bad guy, duh I'm the bad guy"

"I really wanted to be a model when I was little. I loved photography and I loved being on camera. But I was short and chubby so I couldn’t. Anyway, being an artist is way more interesting than just being a model because it’s about you and what you want to be. You’re not being treated like a clothes hanger."

"I must be missing something They just keep doing nothing Too intoxicated to be scared Better off without them They're nothing but unstable Bring ashtrays to the table And that's about the only thing they share I'm in their second-hand smoke Still just drinking canned Coke I don't need a Xanny to feel better On designated drives home Only one who's not stoned Don't give me a Xanny now or ever"

"Don't be cautious, don't be kind You committed, I'm your crime Push my button anytime You got your finger on the trigger, but your trigger finger's mine"

"When I'm away from you I'm happier than ever Wish I could explain it better I wish it wasn't true. Give me a day or two To think of something clever To write myself a letter To tell me what to do."

"I am vegan. I've been vegan for, damn, seven years. I learned about the dairy industry and the meat industry, which I already knew about. But, you know, once you know that kind of thing and you see it, it's really hard to go back. And now, even though I have lots of friends that eat dairy and meat and I don't ever want to tell anybody what to do, I just can't go on in my life knowing what's going on in the animal world and like, not doing anything about it."

"As a woman, I think porn is a disgrace. I used to watch a lot of porn, to be honest. I started watching porn when I was like 11 … I think it really destroyed my brain and I feel incredibly devastated that I was exposed to so much porn. … I’m so angry that porn is so loved, and I’m so angry at myself for thinking that it was okay."

"I don't know how to feel But I wanna try I don't know how to feel But someday I might Someday I might Think I forgot how to be happy Something I'm not, but something I can be Something I wait for Something I'm made for."

"I don't relate to you I don't relate to you, no 'Cause I'd never treat me this shitty You make me hate this city. And I don't talk shit about you on the internet Never told anyone anything bad 'Cause that shit's embarrassing, you were my everything And all that you did was make me fucking sad So don't waste the time I don't have Don't try to make me feel bad."

"Yeah, we're all going to die soon, but we can try our best."