My definition of love is this: to do things that help everyone, human and nonhuman, fulfill their highest potential.

When I first started this blog about a year ago, I wrote it because I loved DxE. I deeply respected Wayne Hsiung, lead organizer of Direct Action Everywhere. I wanted DxE to thrive. I thought that I had really learned, once and for all, the true character of the leaders of DxE.

Thus, I wanted to defend the reputation of DxE. I selected the name, “Is DxE A Cult,” because I wanted people who had read Carol Adam’s article where she compared DxE to a cult to know the truth. If you go to the very first articles in this blog, you will see how I was attempting to prove with facts how Carol was wrong.

When a series of events happened after the 2019 Animal Rights Conference, including me being banned from the Animal Rights Center with no pathway to justice,  I became a whistle blower. I now wanted to warn people about DxE, and to apply pressure to DxE leadership to hire an organizational change expert, Lauren Asher, to help them transform what I still believe is a very toxic culture.

But throughout this process, I still love everyone. Yes, I may sound a bit stern at times. But when DxE leaders are hurting innocent people to the point where a person like Brad Johnson, pig rescuer, might go to jail because of their lack of support, I feel extremely concerned. Hopefully, they will be supporting him because of this pressure I have applied and the stern words I have written.

To allow DxE leaders and members to continue to behave in the ways I have described in this blog would be irresponsible of me. Knowing what I know, and not sharing it with others who might get hurt and not attempting to raise awareness, would be irresponsible.  I was persuaded by the DxE leadership, especially Wayne, that the people who had complained about DxE in the past did not have valid concerns. I trusted Wayne because the concerns of people were not backed up with enough proof for me to trust those concerns.

The problem is, so many in DxE are so charming while at the same time being deceptive. I was fooled by them for 2 1/2 years, even though I talked to people who had extremely unfair and painful experiences with the same leadership that is in power now.

I believe everyone, including me, are acting in ways that are influenced by our societal programming and  our traumatic childhoods. I have compassion for all who I speak against. But I just don’t want these people to hurt anyone else.

One person who was willing to tell me the whole story of his fiasco with DxE, even though it was very painful for him to recall the details, told me, “Whatever you do, just be careful and skeptical.” I had apologized to him and told him that even after all that he told me, I still was deciding to be part of DxE.

I think in the back of my mind, I always was careful and skeptical, even though I came out to Berkeley a year ago to spend a year volunteering for DxE. I ended up staying three months, because the passing of my 10 month old grandson compelled me to go home to be present with my grieving daughter.  Even though I experienced enormous pain because of Wayne Hsiung’s and other organizers actions, I thought things had been cleared up and I was eager to return within months to enthusiastically attend the Animal Liberation Conference to volunteer and stay after the conference to help DxE.

I sincerely love all of the members of DxE who have hurt me, rejected me, betrayed me, lied about me, and hurt other people who I love. Paul, Almira, Cassie, Matt, Priya, Jon, and Wayne: I love all of them and all others who I used to call friends but who do not communicate with me except to criticize me.

I want these people to thrive, and thus I will keep encouraging them to hire a capable organizational change specialist who can help them transform as leaders and as an organization into one that truly helps the animals and humans. If they are harmed in the process of me exposing them, I truly feel sorry. They may go to prison because of their dishonesty. They may get less sympathy from people and thus will need to go to prison for their violating laws when they were rescuing animals.

People have been harmed because no-one has been able to speak out and prove DxE leadership’s wrong in a way that persuaded me. So I felt compelled to spend hundreds of hours writing, talking to people, researching, communicating with DxE leaders so that people who are wondering, “Is DxE a good organization to be a part of?” can make an educated decision.

I hope that the core leadership of DxE,  will make the right decision, and confess their wrongs and make amends. I hope members and organizers and others who are part of the animal rights movement will contact DxE leaders at sfbay@directactioneverywhere.com to urge them to change their ways.

Unless the leaders of DxE make the right decisions, I fear they will have to suffer and perhaps hit the bottom. Sometimes coming to a place of complete despair is what helps people to change. We all have choices as to how we want to learn. I hope leaders and members of DxE make the right choices.

I would deeply appreciate your comments on this and all the other articles I have written on this blog.