Great Ape Personhood: What and Why?

As homo-sapiens, we are undeniably members of the big taxonomic group known as the hominidae family. If you are capable of reading this, behaving socially, feeling, thinking, and of having a personality and characteristics that determine your own, personal and unchangeable individuality, then you must recognize yourself as a human being. The big hominidae family, also known as the “great apes”, has four surviving evolutionary descendant groups: chimpanzees and bonobos, gorillas, orangutans, and humans. The similarities between us and the other great apes are noticeable by simply giving a quick glance. Furthermore, the social behavior, abilities and even mental capacities of the other great apes are comparable to our own; no expert can deny this. According to the Great Ape Project, an international organization that advocates for great ape personhood, the DNA between two human beings can be up to 0.5% different. Between a human and a chimpanzee, the genetic difference is of only 1.23%. Such is the similarity, that chimpanzees can actually donate blood to humans and vice-versa. However, what is this great ape personhood that was referred to?