New PETA billboard addresses egg-eaters and feminism, South Bay reacts

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A new South Bay billboard by animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), is calling out egg-eaters.

The controversial billboard recently went up at Oakland Road, near Highway 101 in San Jose. From a distance, people will notice a woman in a blue shirt, with blonde hair, and a bizarre egg face.

The billboard reads: "Face it-- you can't claim to be a feminist and still eat eggs." Beneath the bold text, "Eggs and dairy are a product of the abuse of females."

"My first reaction is, I didn't get it," San Jose resident, Shirley Bell told ABC7 News. "It doesn't make sense to me."

However, PETA said its argument is clear.

"Anyone who's upset about the sexual abuse of women should be equally intolerant of the sexual abuse of females of any species," PETA Associate Director, Ashley Byrne said.

According to Byrne, PETA put the billboard in the South Bay because San Jose has the highest median income for women of any city in the country.

"We felt this would be a place where there are strong, thoughtful women who would be receptive to this message about not exploiting females of other species," Byrne added.

ABC7 News posted to social media, asking viewers for their thoughts on the billboard.

Twitter user @taylaaa posted, "Animal liberation and human liberation are on 2 completely different and separate levels. To compare female animals to female humans is ludicrous."

"Large scale raising of livestock needs to be more humane and California is making small steps to get there," Twitter user @PamHall94517 wrote. "That being said, it would seem stupid to throw eggs away that my backyard hens laid. I don't have a rooster so they have no potential to hatch."

In person, Eric Larson told ABC7 News, "I think it's a bit of a stretch. I think you can respect women and still enjoy a good scrambled egg."

However, PETA maintains people who eat eggs and dairy products support violence against female animals. The group argues feminism and consumption of food products made by those animals, are incompatible.

Reacting to the controversial argument, Shirley Bell told ABC7 News, "Being a feminist and supporting women has nothing to do with how one eats. It's how one treats other people."

PETA posted a video to YouTube in support of its claim, titled, "Why Feminists Must Reject All Violence, Not Just Violence Against Humans." Click here for the video.