Did Ingrid Newkirk actually say this?

She is widely reported to have said this, though the exact origin of the quote varies from report to report.

I am no supporter of or apologist for PETA or Newkirk; I just can't find a reliable source for this quote.

If she said it, she is a hypocrite - she is a diabetic who has directly benefitted from drugs tested on animals.

I am vegan, I owe my life to drugs tested on animals; it didn't cross my mind to refuse them and I would do the same again.

Being vegan is about doing all you can to minimise your contribution to animal suffering; sacrificing your own life or health isnt required.

Edit** YOLA, the quote is generally dated 1989. To a teenager, 19 years is a looong time. To a 59 year old it isn't very long, and anything you say remains a quotable quote unless you retract it.

Edit**Frilly P - how dare you come on here telling people who have been vegan for years that they are not true vegans? Two days ago you were still eating meat:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Ap8TSB52YsXCj_iLDlgcm2nsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080713135337AAoQcnF

And if you got AIDS, or cancer, or any other serious illness ALL medicine available to you would have been tested on animals by law.

Who are you to judge, indeed. Grow up

Edit** Nice compassionate attitude you have there D.O.T. Luckily even the most bigoted and ill-informed teenagers usually grow up sooner or later

Yes she did. The actual quote is:

“Even if animal tests produced a cure for AIDS, we’d be against it.”
— PETA president and co-founder Ingrid Newkirk, in the September 1989 issue of Vogue, Sep 1989


That is something they seem to conveniently exclude for their website..

this other quote shuld give a truer picture of PETAs "facts" and about PETA altogether

"PETA's publicity formula -- eighty percent outrage, ten percent each of celebrity and truth."

Yeah, she said that.

I think Ingrid Newkirk should be intentionally infected with a disease who's only cure comes from animal testing to see if her money is where her mouth is.

Frilly--you don't seem to have a very good hold on veganism. Veganism isn't martyrdom. Besides that, animal testing leads to cures and successful procedures for animals as well, and not just domestic animals, but any animals that can be helped.

Also, the person who will no doubt re-post my same answer (a violation) needs to see a Dr. about their obvious OCD. Obsseesssiiiooonnnnn.


DOT-Are you serious? There's ways to get AIDS that are out of a person's control. Blood transfusions for instance. Via a spouse's infidelity. A policemen pricked by a needle while frisking/apprehending a suspect. Your answer almost sounds like a troll.

"human ignorance"--oh, the irony.

Frilly P, if you were intelligent enough to know what veganism is, you would know how stupid it is to say things such as, "Animals should never be tested not even for the benefit of humans", which makes it erroneously obvious to other people that vegan people care more about other animals then we care about people.

It is true that we should use any alternative available and that human tissue can be grown without a human body, but the current habits of the industry and government do not allow it. Please keep such arrogance to yourself, it just makes you look like an idiot, especially when you ate meat only two days ago. I am against the use of animals in research because I know that it is just the cheapest and laziest way to do things. That does not mean I will deny any benefits that have been borne of it.

This may shock the hell out of you, but whether you are vegan or not, implying in any way that human life does not have greater value than that of other animals is a sure indicator that you are VERY sick.

She did, indeed, say this. PETA is not my favorite animal rights group by any means. I believe that they are one of the reasons people think vegetarians are all weirdos who's sole purpose in life is to take everyone else's steak away.

For me, personally, PETA goes against a lot of what I believe in. Change should come about peacefully, not because some screaming mob harassed school children and women in fur coats. Nobody should be harassed into changing their beliefs. Researchers should stop testing on animals because it is the sane and ethical thing to do. Not because a protester sat on their front lawn, screamed, scared their children, and fire-bombed their garage.

The true test of somebody's mettle is if they actually practice what they preach. If she had AIDS and there was a cure for it, would Ingrid Newkirk allow herself to die? I think this woman loves herself, and her ego, too much to let herself perish from the earth.

I'm not a fan of PETA. I think there are many organizations out there that do the same work in a much better fashion. PETA is all hype and big business.

yes she did. that's why so many people are against her and PETA. She says a lot of things i don't agree with, but its just an opinion. I don't use any products tested on animals. like hairspray, nail polish, that kinda stuff, i would prefer it if medical research did non-animal involving experiments (which IS available), but if it was a cure for cancer or AIDS??? no whats done is done that would save so many people!

p.s. she also said that when she dies she wants her skin made to wallets and her flesh put on a BBQ and eaten. not a direct quote or anything. EWWW!!! and wouldn't that contradict everything vegan PETA preaches? i don't get it. i'm not quite sure of my belief in PETA. thier just a little too extreme.

Ingrid Newkirk;
“I am not a morose person, but I would rather not be here."
Then why did she get treatment for cancer?

She is nothing more than a hypocrite!!
ALL they want is our money but they kill 80% of the animals they get.
Give to your local shelters, not PeTA

Frilly P: Youse a dumb hoe.

Why would you want to do a class project on such a crazy person who is clearly out of touch with reality? Newkirk has stated numerous times that if a cure for AIDS or CANCER was found through animal testing that peta would be against it. What is funny about that is the fact that Newkirk herself is a diabetic which means she takes....... INSULIN. Insulin as we all know is derived from.... you guessed it! Animal testing on PIGS! So basically as long as the "torture and exploitation" of the animals benefits peta, or newkirk then it's ok to partake, but when it concerns aids or cancer it's not ok. makes sense i guess....

idk but i wouldnt be surprise that she will said something even more offensive, for instance "i would rather save a dog than a human", actually i wont be surprised shw will say something like this, shes a terrorist, she should be hanged