It’s so much easier when vegans are stupid, isn’t it? When they are annoying, loud, smelly and weird.
How good life for a meat-eater must be, when vegans come along that live up to the biggest stereotypes? When a vegan comes along wearing a PETA t-shirt, being severely underweight, with bags under their eyes, holding a “FUR IS EVIL” placard? Immediately it’s “Ha! Stupid Vegans!”, off to eat some Mac’N’Cheese happily, never questioning their lifestyle, because “vegans are weird”. End of story.
Except – vegans aren’t weird. Not anymore. How scary that must be? Vegans aren’t weird or strange or stupid. Vegans are logical, normal and intelligent. How scary that must be for some people? If smart people are not eating meat – that means they’ve THOUGHT about it, right? They’ve considered it, researched it and decided they can’t go to an organic family farm for beef.
I constantly feel that both individuals and society want to keep vegans in a box. The “Stupid, Health-Nut, Hippie, Anemic Box”, so others don’t have to deal with the reality that veganism actually makes brilliant sense.
Don’t make veganism logical – keep it stupid. It’s easier to keep vegans as a stereotype and ridicule the group as a whole. But frustratingly (being a vegan) a lot of these stereotypes are blatant LIES.
Do you agree? Let’s have a look, shall we? Here are some of my favorites (that I hear CONSTANTLY)….
1) Vegans Force Their Opinions on Others, So We Should Laugh at and Ignore Everything they Say.
Obviously, this point does not (and cannot) speak for every vegan in the world. I’ve no doubt there are vegans out there who are pushy with their values and some who are inappropriate. I have no doubt. Like there are some awful, pushy meat-eaters out there who make vegans feel like criminals. No one is perfect. But I include this point and am confident with it. MOST VEGANS DO NOT FORCE THEIR OPINIONS ON OTHERS. I have NEVER forced my view of veganism on ANYONE, yet get accused of it on a daily basis. The mere act of sitting with a salad can land you with “forcing your diet on others”. Daring to attend a social gathering and expecting some kind of sustenance can land you with this accusation. Being ASKED by someone why you are vegan and answering them can land you with an EPIC accusation. Truly hilarious. It’s like a sitcom.
Every day, vegans are BOMBARDED with anti-vegan opinions. Every vegan out there (except maybe the fancy Portland types) are bombarded with dairy commercials, McDonald’s restaurants, Delis, Hot Dog Stalls, Bil-boards, Milkshakes, loved ones slathering mayonnaise on everything, cake shops, people holding Starbucks cups filled with milk and every damn other animal-product in this mad world we live in. It is damn near IMPOSSIBLE for veganism to look like a “forced viewpoint” in this world! Get a grip. If my hummus sandwich, or me “sharing” an animal abuse video is “forcing” my opinion on you – you need to take a look at why that one post in a sea of thousands is bothering you so much.
Boom.
2) Vegans Hate Meat Heaters, So We Should Laugh at and Ignore Everything they Say.
Vegans do not live in a city called “Vegan”. Vegans live here, in the real world, just like you. We may even be on your bus. We may even be in your bloody family! GET OVER YOURSELVES. We don’t hate you, we just wish you’d use Google and understand a little bit more about the world.
We don’t hate you. We hate Slaughterhouses. We hate that your money is paying for them. We hate that you’re paying for Cows to be locked up and abused. We hate where you money is going and that you don’t understand it’s going there.
We don’t hate you. We hate that you order a latte and then tell us you buy milk from Organic Farms. No you don’t. You just bought a latte.
3) Vegans Care More About Animals Than Humans, So We Should Laugh at and Ignore Everything they Say.
This, again is ludicrous and any human being with a logical mind knows it is bollocks. So, why do I hear it ALL THE TIME?! It’s nonsense.
Animals are not more important than humans. Humans are the superior species and that is WHY we should LOOK AFTER the innocent. Protect the weak. Not enslave and exploit the vulnerable. All of your arguments for eating animals are our answers for protecting them. It’s because we are stronger that we should protect. It’s because we are smarter that we should know better.
4) Veganism is Just Their Opinion, So We Should Laugh at and Ignore Everything they Say.
I would like to pose a very deep question to you today: when does something STOP being an opinion?
When? When there is fact to stop a debate? When facts prove your opinion? Surely then it’s not an opinion? If you are speaking in fact – HOW IS THAT AN OPINION?
Saying mankind abuses animals is not an opinion, it is a fact. Sending a cow through a slaughterhouse is murder. It’s abuse. Saying cows are artificially inseminated is abuse. If impregnating a cow against her will isn’t abuse, what the hell is? Saying meat causes heart disease is medically proven, it’s not an opinion. Saying vegetables are healthy and you can get all of your nutrients with a vegan diet IS NOT AN OPINION. It’s a fact.
So, is Veganism an opinion? #bigquestions
5) Vegans are Sensitive and Feel Too Many Emotions, So We Should Laugh at and Ignore Everything they Say.
Who is more sensitive? The person who watches videos of events that are actually occurring (and contain graphic abuse and violence) or the person who closes their eyes and refuses to watch the video?
Who is more sensitive? The person who is too afraid of what people will think to do anything radical or go against the grain? Or the person who makes their life significantly more difficult by becoming a part of a minority to stand up for what they believe in?
Yeah, vegans are weak.
6) Vegans are Deficient in Everything, So We Should Laugh at and Ignore Everything they Say.
Again, the vegan diet is not deficient. There is information about this all over the internet, so I won’t go into it here. If this is an argument you give or hear as an excuse to not go vegan – GROW UP. It’s not a thing. Vegans are not ill or sick when they eat a healthy diet. Healthy diets do not need meat, dairy, fish or eggs. End of story.
Don’t let yourself be put into a box. Don’t let any silly misinformation about veganism or animal rights protesters or PETA or anything get you down.
If you are a vegan – you are just a HUMAN BEING who is making a stand. A human who is saying “no” when told that animals are our property to do whatever we want with. You are STRONG, BRAVE and facing up to reality.
Becoming vegan doesn’t automatically change your personality, your friendship group, your religion, your family or anything else about what makes you “you”. “Vegan” isn’t an exclusive club or a weird religion or cult. It’s a vote.
Being vegan is a vote.
A vote against animals as property. A vote to cause the LEAST amount of harm possible. Who wouldn’t vote for that? Will you not vote because you don’t want to be in a box? Or because you believe the lies?
Don’t believe the lies. Believe the facts.
To watch Gary Yourovski’s phenomenal speech that SHATTERS every vegan myth, click here: “The Greatest Speech You’ll Ever Hear.”
I am vegan, and have dealt with every issue Hannah mentions.
Though I’m a hardened NYC cynic, and often tend to be quite direct, I have found that my acerbic wit, elitist tone, or often-perceived combative or dismissive verbiage can easily undermine any advocacy efforts I put forward for whole-food plant based diet and compassionate lifestyle. I have found the most success speaking unemotionally, with fact-based information, in a non-partisan fashion, and reaching out to people at moments when they are most open to a “learning moment”.
Some of the material in Hannah’s post could easily be interpreted as combative, or at the least, dismissive, especially when “shouted”: “get over yourself”, “grow up”, and “end of story” are terms that tend to close off people and make them less receptive to anything else being said, regardless of the other contents value.
I realize Hannah is passionate about veganism and all it represents, and that is a good thing, as we certainly need passionate advocates, but passion CAN be still be well expressed in other ways that don’t work against the message she is trying to deliver; That vegans are thoughtful, rational, sensitive, caring, and fact-based people trying to make a better place for themselves, animals, and the planet at large, and that many of the myths people hold regarding veganism are just that: myths, and that through thoughtful, measured introspection, others can be shown how moving to a compassionate lifestyle can benefit them, animals, and the planet, without any perceived sacrifice in taste or enjoyment.
Hope that helps
Great article, Hannah! Every time you dunked a stereotype, I felt like saying “BAM, in your face!” LOL #proudvegan
I absolutely loved this post. If you let me I will translate it to Spanish and share this in my blog with a link to your site. Thanks for such amazing words.
I’ve been vegan for over three decades, so I’ve seen and heard it all. As for “expecting” sustenance when attending a social event, I don’t. I bring my own food unless (a) I’m attending a vegan social event, or (b) the person hosting the event has told me my needs will be accommodated. As for deficiency, vegans DO tend toward deficiency in Vitamin B12, and I supplement it. Yes, the entire B complex is made by bacteria that live in the large intestine, but according to research by Dr. Gabriel Cousens, these organisms live beyond the water-recycling first half of the colon, so it’s wise to either supplement “in case,” or get your levels tested so you can make an informed decision. Health and peace.
I just couldnt live any other way .Being Vegan is loving ,caring and kind as humans should live.And yes I do get my daily quota of protein .This is the most asked question I get..Its astonishing the misinformation about protein.Especially in the fat laden diets people eat here in the Tenn.and Va.mountains…..Im polite because I have manners but I always answer questions with facts .Im a size 0 ,so it amazing everyone that I can eat so much (vegan ) food..Im healthier and happy to live on a plant based whole food diet …I dont have to take medications for anything either at age 50 hurray…Its sad to see most medicine cabinets loaded down for so many people and aged beyond there…years.Thank You for this beautiful website.
Number 1 resonates with me. I’m not even able to post a pic or recipe for some lovely vegan food or talk about enjoying my vegan dinner at a restaurant without being accused of being pushy.
I am vegan and have gone thru all of your points in one evening from a hostile family member. Compassion towards animals is seen as something crazy and extreme even when all of the facts of animal agriculture and that animals do feel and suffer pain are presented to the hostile individual. Most people think that animals are here for our own explotation and nothing you tell them will ever change the way they think about veganism. It’s really frustrating.