My Vegan is Not Your Vegan
The past few weeks I’ve been sickened by the condescension and rudeness of some who believe their view of veganism, an elitist exclusionary one, is the only approach to saving the planet, saving the animals, and saving ourselves. It’s been eye opening and very disappointing.
I truly believe a lot of people latch onto veganism as a club of some sort which they don’t want others to belong to. I’m no shrink, but I’ve been around crazy people in my lifetime, and I truly believe many of these folks have some sort of emotional problems, perhaps hidden eating disorders, and they purge themselves of their confusion and angst in vegan discussion groups on Facebook.
I think it is important to reiterate points like the one made below, because people seem to forget that we’re all going the same direction. Some of us are going to walk the steep mountain trail, some will take the scenic lakeside trail, and some will go through the grassy flatlands. No matter if we decided to become vegan for our health, for the planet, or because we couldn’t stand to be cruel to animals for food or entertainment purposes, in the end, we’re all going to the same destination.
So please! Enough with the snark and infighting amongst vegans over who is “vegan” enough, and who has the “right” to define themselves as vegan or who went vegan “for the right reasons.” Any reason is the right reason. And any way you eat or live that doesn’t involve animal suffering is compassionate and less harmful to the environment as well.
Deborrah Cooper
Category: Veganism and African Americans
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Sounds about right.
This is precisely why I’ve stopped discussing how I eat with others unless I am planning to eat in their homes, which I rarely do. Food poisoning is REAL!!! For some reason people feel like their comments and opinions are welcome and life changing they often aren’t….
Well said! I’ve noticed the same over time and also choose not to engage in this “hierarchy”… Some use the wear the word “vegan” as a crown (something to do with celebrities) and others wear it as a “mask” hiding behind underlying issues, probably emotional disorders as well eating issues. I call this, “addiction transfer”. Nonetheless, we are on the same path, no matter how we get there:)
LOL!!! I understand. Believe me. If you only knew the crazy interactions I’ve had with people over the past month, which is what motivated me to write that little blurb. Folks really get UP SET and overly involved when it comes to telling others what to eat.
Deborah, you are absolutely the right in your analysis of those who aim to take over vegan spaces with food and lifestyle division. As for the term vegan, the creator of it provided clarity; it means not eating animal-based foods and THAT IS ALL. The additional product distinctions added on by people, some with good intent, are used for a point of ego among those who don’t care to incorporate how a limited budget, location-access, and demographics integral to those issues would halt an exploration of the complete replacing of every item in a wardrobe, etc. The short-sighted nature of their narcissist hijacking of vegan spaces with their minimalist perspectives costs recruits. That’s one hell of an indulgence.