You've all heard the stereotypes of a vegan.
You instantly see a PETA advocate who is yelling at fellow street goers about what they choose to eat. They're seen as the angry friends who are going to get mad at you if you eat a burger at dinner. The crazy tree huggers who believe that we can save the trees. All vegans are radical liberals who believe we're better than you meat eaters. As a vegan, I've seen and heard it all. The sly remarks from friends and family, the defensiveness when the topic is brought up, it's everywhere.
Twitter is filled with vegan bashing and nasty comments. People freak when they think they're being patronized for eating meat. They feel attacked and like vegans are out to get them. Vegans are feared in friend groups, "Oh she's THAT friend...", no one will bring up meat or their past meal around you. It's a scary world being near a vegan.
Heres where you've got it all wrong!
All vegans have crazy compassion, either for their health, the environment or for the animals. When we mention veganism, we're not trying to attack you, we are just passionate about a life choice that we have made. Veganism, to me, is the greatest thing I've ever been a part of, and we're just trying to express that to you and show you how much it means to us!
Veganism isn't something to be afraid of, it's honestly easy and fun to do. It's a way to get creatives with what you eat and do it for a good reason. Every vegan is doing it for their own personal reason, and most of us don't actually fit into those crazy stereotypes. Most really just want to eat better without harming animals.
We aren't all crazy tree huggers who go and do wild protests like what you see on the news, on twitter, and on other social media platforms. It gives off a bad image of veganism. We're all just here trying to change the world to the best of our abilities! It's an amazing journey that we want as many people as possible to experience and become a part of!
I understand that straying for a norm as large as the food that we eat is scary. It's confusing and weird to think about completely changing your diet when you've been told to eat a certain way your whole life. It really isn't as crazy or radical as it seems.
As a vegan, when I'm seen as a scary radical vegan who will bash you any chance I get, it gets frustrating! If I'm speaking to you about veganism it's because I am passionate about it, and want to share that desire with you! Just like friends have a conversation about any daily life aspect, I enjoy a conversation about veganism with my friends.
So, the next time a friend, who may be vegan, expresses interest about wanting to converse about veganism, don't shut down! Be open to discussion, be accepting, and maybe you'll learning something new! You never know!
