Kevin is amazing—and not just because he loves chocolate and PETA … ’cause really, who doesn’t? We love Kevin because he’s not afraid to stand on a street corner and leaflet or protest for an hour or two to help animals. Maybe Kevin will inspire you to do the same.
Name: Kevin Loder
Age: 16
Grade and School: 10th grade at McKay High School
Why did you get involved in the animal rights movement?
Finding out about PETA has led me to discover a part of who I am. PETA has shown me so many things that I believe in that I never before realized.
What made you become a vegan?
My vegan lifestyle is all thanks to PETA, totally. I was 15 when I found out about this organization for animal rights, but believe me, I wish I would have found out much sooner; I would have been an activist since kindergarten! I’ve been vegan for about three months now, and I went vegan for both animal rights and health reasons. I have discovered that dairy foods give me zits, and since I’ve gone vegan, my skin has tremendously cleared up; the esthetician that I see once a week is amazed by the improvement in the quality of my skin since I went vegan!
What was your life like before you became an activist for animals?
Before veganism, I was suffering from depression from my acne. I believed that “meat will make me stronger and buffer” and that “milk will make me stronger.” I couldn’t have been more wrong. …One of the best benefits of going vegan is NO MORE ZITS! They’ve cleared up, disappeared, no more redness! I’m suddenly a much happier and healthier teenager, and I’m so angry with the milk industry’s lies.
What is your favorite vegan goodie?
Soy Delicious chocolate! Milk gives me zits, so vegan chocolate products are a “God send” for me!
What is your favorite PETA leaflet?
“Being Boiled Hurts”! It covers a great vegetarian topic that people almost always agree on.
What is your favorite animal rights activity?
PROTESTING! It is such a great experience and totally worth my time to do protests; I’ve been doing protests almost every Saturday from noon until 4 p.m. since I found out about PETA!
What question do you get asked most when you talk to people about animal rights, and what is your response?
Whenever I tell someone I’m a vegan, they ALWAYS ask, “Well, what do you eat then?” As if they think I have to get my food from another planet or something. I respond sarcastically by saying, “Well there are these new edible things called vegetables, fruits, grains, soy, and mock meat!”
Do you have a favorite animal right story or adventure?
My first protest with my friends Portia Wingard and Jessica Main was way better than expected. We had no materials from PETA yet, so we made our own signs and spent $42 to make copies of the leaflets. We walked up and down a busy street for four hours with signs that said, “Deep-Fried Blood Bath,” “ Scientists’ Curiosity Killed the Cat,” and “BEEF … it’s what’s rotting in your colon.” We received much more support than we expected, and the most fulfilling part was when two SUVs pulled over and out came a dozen vegetarian women, all of whom chatted with us and gave us encouragement!
What is your proudest animal right moment?
My friends and I were walking up and down a street, raising awareness about why Easter is no holiday for chickens, when we noticed some koi fish in a filthy pond at a closed chalet restaurant. We rushed home and brought back buckets. As we were stepping into the slimy pond, a police officer showed up. He was just curious about what we were doing, and when we told him, and he said, “More power to ya! Do you need any help?” This was our first time rescuing animals, and what a great feeling it was! We took several koi to a local koi and lily-pad store where a loving and caring home was found for them.
What is your personal message to the 30,000 PETA2 Street Teamers?
Hand out leaflets to EVERYONE! You may be discouraged to give someone a leaflet because of your assumption of what their opinion will be, but for me, it’s proved every time to be worth it to walk up to someone with a leaflet and say, “You can make a difference!”
Finally, if you had to be a vegetable or fruit, what kind would you be and why?
A cocoa plant—to be made into vegan chocolate! Laughter and happiness are the best medicine, and chocolate is known for making people happier!
Have you caught on to our trend yet? Check back in a month for the next Star Street Teamer profile.
