By Mario Alvaro Limos , Esquire Philippines, 29 January 2021
“You’re a pig!” That’s just one of the statements you should stop using, according to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals or PETA. Pigs have feelings too.
According to PETA, it is not right to use animals to refer to human behavior that is usually frowned upon by society.
“Anti-animal slurs degrade animals by applying negative human traits to certain species,” PETA said in a statement. “Calling someone an animal as an insult reinforces the myth that humans are superior to other animals and justified in violating them.”
PETA described the animal slurs as “supremacist language” by humans. It also referred to the language as “speciesism.”
Stop using pigs as an insult.
Of all the animal slurs, being called a pig is one of the most used phrases around the world. It is used to refer to perverts, people with poor hygiene, or anyone who’s an object of disgust.
“Pigs are intelligent, lead complex social lives, and show empathy for other pigs in distress,” said PETA in a tweet.
The same goes for snakes. “Snakes are clever, have family relationships, and prefer to associate with their relatives,” said PETA.
“PETA urges everyone who believes in equality and justice to take a look at their personal beliefs and the language they use, and break free of this outdated mindset that denigrates other animals.”
Other animals who are victims of slurs include monkeys (unggoy ka) birds (You’re a chicken / bird-brain), and crocodiles or alligators (buwaya sa kongreso).
PETA came up with a list of words to use when referring to negative human traits.
What’s the takeaway from all this? “Always be kind and consider not using insults at all,” said PETA. (PA)