
When Left & Right Unite for Animals | Ep. 116
From The Vegan Report by Rayane Laddi
April 28, 2026 · 1h 18m
About this episode
The episode features a discussion among animal rights advocates from different political backgrounds exploring political engagement for animal advocacy.
This was a fascinating conversation because we brought together two animal rights advocates from opposite ends of the political spectrum. David Michel was elected as a Democratic representative in the state of Connecticut, so he comes from the political left. Liam Gray, on the other hand, is a conservative, a veteran, and the founder of the animal protection think tank, the Wilberforce Institute. And then we had Sandro Jenni, a researcher at the University of Zurich’s Psychology Personality Lab, who—true to his Swiss heritage—remained impressively neutral, offering thoughtful insights and valuable data throughout the discussion. So every perspective was represented as we explored how to motivate animal advocates to engage politically at a time when so many feel disillusioned with the political class, why politicians aren’t working harder to earn the votes of the millions of vegetarians and vegans out there, and much more. David Michel is on Substack, so be sure to subscribe. ( https://substack.com/@davidmichel1/posts ) You can also find his writing as a contributor to the CT Examiner . ( https://ctexaminer.com/author/david-michel/ ) Visit the Wilberforce Institute, Liam Gray’s…
People in this episode
Host: Rayane Laddi
Guests: David Michel, Liam Gray, Sandro Jenni
Topics covered
- animal rights
- political engagement
- veganism
- cross-political collaboration
- advocacy
Keywords
- animal rights
- politics
- veganism
- advocacy
- David Michel
- Liam Gray
- Sandro Jenni
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Wilberforce Institute, CT Examiner
Books & works: Political Orientation and Attitudes About Agricultural Reforms Around Sustainability
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