Militant Vegans Do More Harm Than Good

Hi guys, so sorry that I've been ghosting for a while, I've had a few hectic weeks. I received my first paid client for my writing & I'm currently on my second and at the weekend I went on a romantic weekend away to London with my boyfriend. But I'm back on it.

We've all come across a militant vegan before. Usually, they're on social media telling you that your eating habits make you a bad person.

Newsflash: They don't!

I decided to write this post due to the fact that militant vegans are the reason why I didn't go vegan sooner. I was MAJORLY put off. I didn't want to be associated with a movement full of people who were rude and pushy (Obviously, I now know that 90% of vegans are lovely people.)

When we first become vegan, we're angry and we wonder "How could anyone support this cruel industry?", forgetting that we once ate meat, and it wasn't even that long ago!

I am not a fan of showing graphic photos and videos of animals being slaughtered, I feel as some meat eaters think this is pushy (and you may be thinking "Who cares what they think?") but you should, they're the ones you want to convince. Although sharing graphic photos and videos may work for some people, I don't think it's the most effective way and there are many more calm ways to go about it. Before I was vegan, I used to avoid every graphic photo and video I could because it was just too upsetting to watch (I know, hypocritical!).

Everyone has a different path in life and can't necessarily drop everything and become vegan like I said in my last blog post. Before getting angry at someone for not being a vegan, think about what's going on in their life. Now, I don't mean something minor like they're used to eating non-vegan food and they can't change. I'm talking about people with health problems or family issues.

Some vegans are so militant that they're shaming junk-food vegans for what they eat:

When it comes to veganism, it shouldn't matter what we eat; as long as what we eat contains no animal products! If you're vegan for health reasons then good for you but that isn't what the movement is about so if you see a vegan eating junk food, leave them alone! Not everyone can afford to buy whole foods 24/7.
That being said, I came across a thread on the Vegan UK Facebook group of people's "broke meals":

Now, beef flavour noodles with peas, hoisin sauce and soy sauce isn't the healthiest of meals but the point is that it's vegan and Hannah isn't harming anyone. Many people replied to this with meals such as alphabet noodle soup with veggie broth, baked beans on toast and red kidney beans with rice. Sounds yummy!

Back to the point, there are many ways you can promote veganism without seeming pushy or rude.

• Be patient.

If a meat eater is rude to you, don't fight back. Be patient. Don't blame them for their views, you once had them too! Offer more information instead of participating in irrational arguments.

• Feed people vegan food

Show them how nice our food is and that we don't just eat salads. A delicious home-cooked meal can build positive connections and showcases the wide range of flavours we have in our food. 

• Use your voice!

Sign petitions, email companies (politely, please!), help out at an animal shelter, adopt rescued animals, donate to your favourite charities, start a group! Do anything that'll spread the vegan message in a positive and productive way.

Don't scare people away from becoming vegan but also, don't hold their hand. If they want to be vegan, they will but if they're showing 0% interest in what you're saying, don't start to argue. Calmly educate. I hope you enjoyed this quick opinion post.

Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions for future blog posts I am also happy to answer any questions about veganism you may have.

💓 Phoebe xoxo.