Are you having rape for breakfast? The recent string of sexual assaults at the University of British Columbia may be shocking, however these assaults occur in addition to incalculable rapes and assaults happening around the world each day. In areas ranging from developing nations to Metro Vancouver, sexual assault happens at the breakfast table. Canadians are surrounded by subversive sexual assault in their bowls of cereal and their cups of coffee, because milk is a product of rape.

Many people are not aware of the unavoidable connection between dairy milk and sexual assault. Just like human mothers produce milk after they become pregnant and give birth, cows also are impregnated in order for them to produce milk. The industry often uses a device nicknamed the “rape rack” to artificially inseminate female cows. Farms may opt to shove a 12 inch long “insemination rod” into their cow’s vagina, which often necessitates guiding it with their arm in the cow’s anus. When the mother cow gives birth her baby is taken away from her so that humans can drink the milk instead.

Don’t believe it? Even the industry lobby-sponsored website reveals that dairy farms have a separate calf barn where the baby cows are taken after they are born, away from their mothers. Where do these cows go?

Sometimes veal calves (male babies) are purchased directly from dairy farmer seven to 10 days after they are born (and, of course, are then killed before they reach adulthood). Female babies are raised until they are old enough to be artificially inseminated, and then the vicious cycle repeats. The dairy cows themselves, when their production declines, are sent to slaughter.

Non-human animals, just like us, do not want to give their bodies and their lives for the pleasure of a few.

As children, most Canadians are told that cows “give” milk, but this explanation is misinformed. Just as women do not “give” their consent by walking alone at night to be assaulted, cows do not “give” their milk, people take it from them.

Local farmer’s will try to say that their cows are happy and treated nicely, however the murder and rape of these animals is an unavoidable part of this profit based system. Organic and free range labels still have the same assaults connected with their products, not to mention the incalculable uninvited gropings and unwanted touches that happen during the actual milking process.

If we really want to be a society that says “no” to sexual violence, then we have to look at our own choices and stop supporting sexual assault, directly and indirectly.

What about the nutritional benefits of milk? We can get enough calcium from spinach, broccoli, kale and other leafy greens, as well as fortified non-dairy milks, like those made from soy, rice, almond, coconut, hemp, cashew, hazelnut and flax.

Next time you go grocery shopping, choose one of these alternatives. Choose not to support rape and sexual assault. Choose a vegan milk and join the movement to stop systematic rape and sexual assault. It doesn’t take much to make compassionate food choices, and it astronomically reduces the suffering of non-human animals, who just like us, do not want to give their bodies and their lives for the pleasure of a few.

Got milk? Not me. And I am not asking for it.