Brigitte Gothière (born 18 May 1973) is a French animal rights and veganism activist. She is the director and spokesperson of the animal rights organization L214, which she co-founded with her husband Sébastien Arsac. Gothière was also the editor of the antispeciesist journal Cahiers antispécistes from 1998 to 2019.
Life and career
Gothière was born on 18 May 1973. Her mother was a nurse and her father, an electrical engineer. She studied mathematics and electronics in higher education.[1] In 1993, when she was a student, she decided to stop eating meat, as well as any animal products.[2] After graduation, she taught at a vocational high school[1] and, after moving to Lyon, taught applied physics.[2]
Gothière married fellow animal rights activist Sébastien Arsac in 1996. The couple met in high school. They have two children, who are also vegan.[1] In 1998, along with her husband, she became an editor of the antispeciesist journal Cahiers antispécistes. She remained the editor until its final publication in 2019.[3]
In 2003, alongside a few other activists, she launched the grassroots campaign "Stop Gavage", which fought against the force-feeding of geese and ducks.[4] In 2008, she and her husband established the animal rights association L214, which raises awareness of animal rights by disseminating shocking images of slaughterhouses.[5] Gothière is its spokesperson and director.[6] She has argued that "only a vegan society would amount to success", but that small steps are progress.[7]