Principle 3: Non-human Animal Resistance
We must recognize that the fight for animal rights is necessarily a movement that belongs to non-human animals. Activists often forget this and it is reflected in our language. For instance, we may refer to it is as our movement (not theirs). Challenge Speciesism recognizes the active role non-human animals play in their own liberation. They show signs of resistance and protest each day whether it be through escaping capture, screaming in pain or resisting confinement. By recognizing the role non-human animals play in their own fight for liberation, they are centred in their own movement and their experiences and struggles are validated and highlighted. Additionally, we must reject the anthropocentric notion that human protest (such as marches or outreach) are the only valid way to resist.
Activists may also be tempted to refer to non-human animals as voiceless because they may not speak or communicate in a way we understand. However when we do refer to them as voiceless, we reinforce an anthropocentric and speciesist understanding of communication. Fishes use vibrations and noises to communicate with one another, birds sing songs and cats and chickens purr when happy. Just because these are forms of communication humans do not fully understand, it does not make them less valid. When we refer to non-human animals as voiceless we centre ourselves in their movement (as it often implies that our human voices are the ones that must be heard) in addition to reinforcing the perception of non-human animals as helpless beings lacking autonomy.