Let’s just come out and say it. Veganism is stigmatised. Yes even in 2020.
It’s been a while since we became vegan, so we’re a little out of touch. But every now and then, we see the comments.
“Ah, there go those vegans again.”
“Those bloody vegans are everywhere.”
It’s subtle, but it’s there.
We wonder, is this stigma creating a barrier for more people to be vegan? Are people merely not trying a vegan lifestyle on the principle of not being those “people” instead of focusing on the objectively positive reasons to be vegan?
In this episode, we discuss the sometimes detrimental brand of veganism and how it’s potentially hurting the movement.
Listen to the episode
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Things mentioned in this episode
-
- Vegan Stigma: A Barrier To Dietary Change
- The ‘V’ Word: The Stigma Surrounding Veganism
- Owning Your Identity
- Challenging The Stigma of Animal Activism
- Vegan family claims they have ‘lost friends,’ get ‘bullied’ over lifestyle
- Vegetarians, vegans ‘hated and bullied in Australia’, author says
- “If I became a vegan, my family and friends would hate me:” Anticipating vegan stigma as a barrier to plant-based diets
Hi there – with reference to your discussion about a vegan cookery programme, in the UK there are two boys who call themselves BOSH! They are vegan and have a TV show called Living on the Veg. Pure plant based menus.
Oh, I just looked them up. How cool! Thanks for sharing with us 🙂 There’s hope!
Hi Ali, I’m so glad you enjoyed the episode!
You make some really interesting points, especially concerning orthorexia. I can see how a plant-based whole foods diet may trigger such behaviour.
Ha! Yeah, the judgement is undoubtedly both ways when it comes to blaming diets.
Thanks for taking the time to share your experiences.
Michael
Thanks for those encouraging comments
An important difference between cats and dogs: cats must never be on a vegan diet because they are ‘obligate carnivores’. They need meat regularly, otherwise their bodies won’t be able to produce enough taurine. Taurine deficiencies in cats eventually lead to heart disease and blindness.
https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/taurine-in-cats
Hi again Aprile, thanks for sharing the resource with us. Personally, we haven’t researched as we don’t have a cat. But we’ve heard similar things in the past.
As a new vegan, living in a regional area (I met 3 unrelated female cattle farmers within the last 5 days!) and with no vegan or vegetarian food outlets, I am nervous about calling myself a vegan – especially after hearing local comments after the Melbourne demo last year. So I usually wuss out and say nothing, or else say I’m a vegetarian. The only times I’m brave enough are if I’m talking to a person who has health issues which might be helped by a change in diet, and I say “have you ever thought about going vegan?” But so far I’m not brave enough to mention veganism for ethical reasons…
Hi Aprile, thanks for sharing your experience with us. I’m sure many vegans can relate to what you’re going through. It’s not easy to own veganism when you fear it won’t be received well. I like always to think that every time I tell someone I’m vegan, whether it goes well or not, I’ve created a reference point for the next vegan they interact with. It’s making vegan more “normal” and “common” that motivates me in these interactions. But again, I get it. It’s not easy…
Have a lovely week, Michael.