UniverSoul Circus goes animal-free!
Written by John Di Leonardo
September 19, 2023
After a decade of protesting outside UniverSoul Circus in Queens, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, we can finally hang up our costumes! The circus has gone animal-free! Thank you to our friends at PETA and everyone who joined us over the years!
As a guardianship lawyer, my father Gary Di Leonardo (the wise 74-year-old elephant) inspired me to always stand up for the underprivileged, leading me to be the anti-speciesism activist I am today. I hope that UniverSoul going animal-free not only supports humane, cruelty-free performers who can go home at the end of the day and retire when they wish, but also teaches empathy to future generations in the same manner my father instilled it in me.
Photo credit: Debbie Egan-Chin