Tax-Exempt PeTA Fulfills Public Threat; Omnivores Demand IRS Review

Plastic People Fail to Fluster Super-composed Supermodel

On Nov. 14, PeTA fulfilled its very public threat while Gisèle, to her credit, simply kept walking and working.

At a fashion show for Victoria's Secret, four PeTA-phile Plastic People jumped the stage and harassed Gisèle as she did her walk down the catwalk, while looking great in a flamenco beaded miracle bra and a leather skirt over her thong. As the angry vegan Plastic People waved vinyl signs and screamed and yelled around her, super-composed supermodel Gisèle didn't miss a step. The audience cheered mightily as security nabbed the protesters.

Since the segment was being filmed for later use, Gisèle reshot her walk, this time alone and unthreatened, to a standing ovation.

Oddly enough, the lingerie show's "furs" were limited to inexpensive faux fur trim (raw material requirement: petrochemical-based synthetics, one of the few clothing choices PeTA actually supports).

Gracious Omnivore

Gisèle, now 22 years young, was discovered while eating at a Sao Paulo, Brazil McDonalds, so omnivores, which most of us are, can claim her as their own.(2) Gisèle is not a vegan, a tiny fraction of the population, well under 1 percent, mostly working in the conflict industry, mostly at PeTA.

After the attack Gisèle stated, "I am doing my job as a working model." And, even though PeTA attacked her, she remained gracious, stating, "Everyone is entitled to their own opinion."(3)

Well-said, Gisèle, but people are not allowed to threaten and shouldn't attempt to intimidate others simply because they disagree. And all of us, especially groups that hold tax-exempt, non-profit status, are required to abide by the law while exercising our constitutional right to free speech. PeTA's attacks and law breaking are clearly outside its non-profit mission statement.

This particular public display of intimidation was the fulfillment of the very public threat by Dan Matthews of the tax-exempt, non-profit PeTA. Why, oh, why, does PeTA still have non-profit tax-exempt status? If the IRS supports this sort of activity as "public benefit", shouldn't we all consider charging the PeTA offices to disrupt their work with intimidation tactics?

We urge Gisèle, and all the models on the world's catwalks, to join over 40,000 people who are demanding PeTA's tax-exempt status be revoked.

Who's Who Among the PeTA-phile Plastic People?

Arrested on disorderly conduct charges were Arathi Jayaram, 26, of Norfolk, Va., Kayla Rae Worden (aka Kevin Worden), 41, of Asheville, N.C.; and Karla Waples, 27, of Manhattan. A fourth fled and got away.

Arathi Jayaram(4) earned her fifteen minutes of fame in 2000 assaulting the Secretary of Agriculture with a tofu pie while Kayla/Kevin(5) and Karla(6) earn their living as strippers for PeTA, regularly caged naked outside circuses around the country. Kayla/Kevin and Karla log more miles stripping for PeTA than Gisèle logs modeling clothes. This year alone, while stripping and shivering for synthetics, Kayla/Kevin was arrested as far away as Beijing, China, while Karla was cold and naked when arrested in Tokyo, Japan.

Cover It Up, Kevin!

Kayla Rae Worden (who calls herself "Stripper for a Cause") followed Gisèle all the way down the runway holding a sign, appropriately made of vinyl (plastic), which personally attacked the model. The vinyl sign was emblazoned with the PeTA corporate logo, leaving no doubt what company sponsored the attack.

PeTA employee Kayla Rae Worden started life as Kevin Worden. During a 2002 appearance on the Howard Stern Show, Kayla/Kevin stripped when he threatened to kill insects and fish if the three PeTA-phile guests didn't show him some boob. Kayla/Kevin was quick to reveal her set and Howard complimented Kayla/Kevin on her commitment to the cause and her "nice, natural breasts". That's right - without surgery perfected on animals and daily hormone therapy developed on animals, Kayla/Kevin would be sporting full body fur and a moustache. Isn't it amazing what a little animal-tested hormone therapy can do?

Kayla/Kevin, please cover it up.

What You Can Do:

While vegan diets, hypocrisy, rudeness and a willingness to break the law continue to be PeTA job requirements, the rest of us aware, sensitive and smart omnivores, urge everyone to:

1) sign the petition to revoke PeTA's tax-exempt status.

2) send our letters of support to: Gisèle Bündchen, c/o Anne Nelson, IMG Models, 304 Park Ave. S., 12th Fl., New York, NY 10010, or email FCUSA at furfarmers@aol.com and we'll pass your message on to Gisèle.

(1) "Venus in furs", New York Post, Nov. 6, 2002. Full quote/threat is: "Dan Mathews says her lack of compassion for our four-legged friends has made her the organization's new Public Enemy No. 1. 'Gisele is a Brazilian bloodsucker - all legs and no heart,' Mathews huffed to msnbc.com's Jeannette Walls. 'She obviously wants attention, and she's gonna get it, though not the kind she might want.'"
(2) http://www.abstracts.net/gisele-bundchen
(3) "Gisele's Catwalk back talk," New York Post, Nov. 16, 2002.
(4) Meet Arathi Jayaram. In May of 2000, she assaulted Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman with a tofu pie, earning her two years probation and 500 hours of community service. Let's hope she was not allowed to do her community service time at PeTA!. In January 2000, Arathi posed as a journalist and disrupted NY Mayor Giuliani's press conference, was charged with trespassing and disorderly conduct (New York Daily News). Unconfirmed report: Oct. 29, 1998: arrested and charged with destroying embassy property.
(5) Meet Kayla/Kevin: "Local woman evokes change both for PeTA and herself," Asheville Citizen-Times, Aug. 18, 2002, tells the story of Kevin's sex-change to "Kayla Rae". See also "PeTA Girls", Howard Stern Show, E! Entertainment Television Cable, Mar. 28, 2002. PeTA's www.lettuceladies.com/meet.html tells us Kayla/Kevin Worden is from North Carolina and her "Turn-ons" include "dolphins, tear-jerking movies, theater, adventure, mystery, discovering new delectable vegan eats, waterfalls, tropical sunsets, men who are man enough to go vegan, big hair, sexy clothes, high heels, wet doggie kisses, writing poetry, lip-synching to Dolly Parton songs, opening minds and hearts, taking chances" and her "Turn-offs" include "flesh breath, narrow minds and closed hearts, polluters, runs in my nylons, animal-tested products, weak coffee, apathy, giving up on true love, foie gras, milk (aka mucus) moustaches...so wipe that pus off your puss if you wanna kiss me, mister!"
(6) Meet Karla Waples: Karla's been protesting professionally for PeTA as early as 1998. In February of 2000, she was arrested for another runway stunt at a fashion show in New York. In January of 2002 she was nominated for the Bum Steer Award for her Tokyo arrest for nudity. [Texas Monthly January 2002: Bum Steer Awards 2002.] PeTA's www.lettuceladies.com/meet.html tells us Karla Waples is from Texas and her "Turn-ons" include "The Simpsons, teen dramas on the WB, dancing, margaritas, useless trivia, old-school rap, John Hughes movies, chips and salsa, David and Amy Sedaris." "Turn-offs" include "Mushrooms, bad grammar, tonic water, guns, knives, people who eat with their mouths open."

Notes:

In a Letter to the Editor (Oct. 12, 2002, Asheville Citizen-Times), Kayla/Kevin argued that "By adopting a vegetarian lifestyle, the average person will save some 83 animals each year." We assume Kayla/Kevin means "vegan". Oddly enough, one good fur coat takes about 20 to 40 mink pelts. Considering that an omnivore eats about 83 animals per year, and farm-raised carnivores help consume the "waste" from production of our food, shouldn't we all buy at least one fur coat just to do our part to participate in this holistic process and protect the Earth? In contrast, one gallon of oil yields about three non-biodegradable but PeTA-approved "eco-fleece" jackets. As before, we urge PeTA to put their energy into a recycling campaign for the "alternatives" they keep endorsing.

Cover it up! See some pictures of gangs of PeTA protestors we wish would cover it up at http://www.streaking.co.uk/relatednewspetaprotests.htm

And if you want to compare naked vegan PeTA-philes with naked omnivores protesting for hunting, fishing and fox hunting, take a look at these foxy ladies at the Countryside Alliance's Liberty and Livelihood Rally/Protest which drew over 400,000 people to London in 2002. Tell me, fellas, who'd ya rather have a steak and beer with? Tally ho!

See also:

Feminism and Fur FCUSA examines the ways in which PeTA demeans women and others. (March 2003)

Super Duper Recyclers - How Fur Farmers Turn Waste into Beauty FCUSA commentary, Oct. 28, 1999.

Sensitive and Smart Six good reasons why environment-friendly consumers choose fur.

Ho, ho, ho! Plastic Santas? A seasonal look at "Evolutionary Fur" - guaranteed 100% unnatural!

FCUSA Press Kit special feature : Regulating the Conflict Industry.

FCUSA Press Kit special feature : Safe Farms Campaign.

For further information contact: Teresa Platt, Executive Director, Fur Commission USA, PMB 506, 826 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118-2698 USA, (619) 575-0139, (619) 575-5578/fax, furfarmers@aol.com, www.furcommission.com.

To take a cyber-tour of a fur farm, visit Fur Commission USA's Fur on Film at http://www.furcommission.com/video/index.htm

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