I rewrote this post several times since I first uploaded it but sadly it’s still accurate in 2019. If someone reeds my blog or follows my Instagram I’m sure they’ve noticed that I mostly eat vegan food. Maybe few of you also noticed that I don’t call myself vegan. I’m not. I’m a vegetarian.
Originally I wrote this post because I met a “very vegan” person who just said I can’t call myself vegan because I’m a bad vegan for this and that reason. What made me re-write the post is that I decided to quit vegan groups on facebook because people attacked me for my boyfriend being meat eater and because for certain things I do that makes me a bad vegan in their eyes (see the list below). I never thought the fact that I’m “only” vegetarian means I can’t be a part of a vegan group on Facebook.
Then I realized I got attacked because I used the term “carnivore” instead of “omnivore”. Because those vegans who referred to their lover as omnivore never got attacked but those who said their love is a carnivore got all the shit in their face. I always thought if we speak about human race carnivore equals omnivore because humans aren’t carnivores as animals are. If they are carnivores it doesn’t mean the only thing they eat is meat, but everything else as well, so they are omnivore. And when speaking about omnivores why vegans never think about that “omni” which means “all” includes meat as well.
I used to love to tell everybody that I’m vegan. For about 2 years I was very proud. I forced myself to not eat fish, eggs and honey. I don’t eat meat since I was 13, I quit consuming dairy about 4 years ago when I was diagnosed with dairy protein intolerance. I wasn’t aware of becoming a vegan, I just noticed once I eat vegan food all the time. Now I wouldn’t call myself a vegan, I’d rather say I follow a personalized vegetarian ayurvedic diet.
Of course, everybody can have their own opinion. You have yours. I have mine. All fine. This is my opinion here and I love how I live, love the way I eat and how it makes me feel in my skin. Nobody’s perfect and I am still learning about the world and myself. But now for real, everybody is free to have their own opinion but when someone sits in front ot their laptop for hours typing in hate messages and rude comments, calling you names that’s beyond having your free opinion, even if you call it a feedback. Verbal abuse and belittling others only shows you immaturity and your character. And if you want someone to turn vegan is the way you talk to them? When did swearwords and name calling made anyone to stand by your side?
I thought about is many times, why do I want to be part of this community? Is ti worth to belong to a group of people who only accept those who appears to be a perfect vegan? I lost all that admiration I had for vegans when I first got to know veganism. When I started to learn about this and decided I want to belong to this group because with them I can do good to the animals, to humanity, to the Earth, it’s ethical and built on LOVE. I don’t want to put all the vegans in the same box because definitely there are great compassionate and kind vegans out there. It’s not about you.
But I started to notice that the vegan community became toxic (for me). Most of them see everything as black and white. When this vegan world is actually a whole range of shades of the spectrum. No one can decide that they are a good person because they are vegan, but someone is not good because they are vegetarian or plant based. It’s unbelievable how negative and hateful some people are. I’m not saying that the vegan community is a bad community just that it’s not that community anymore where I want to belong because for my bad experiences.
We should focus on what kind of person the other person is and if we like them for it or not, and not judge them for being vegan or not… In the end 90% of vegans were meat eaters before, no?
Trust me, I would be the happiest if no animals were killed just so people can eat them, when there’s an abundance of fruits and vegetables and all. But veganism doesn’t work for everybody, not everybody can adapt to it. Some go vegan over night but for some it might take years and it’s all okay. There’s no need to bash people for this. If in a relationship one person eats meat it doesn’t mean that the vegan/vegetarian one is a heartless rude person who lives in a home where the fridge is filled with raw meat. The fact that someone is a carnivore now doesn’t mean that person will never become vegan. Outsiders know almost nothing about a relationship of a couple, especially if you happen to know that person because you commented under the same pic in the same facebook group. You know nothing just base your judgement on the movie playing in your head after hearing this vegans husband is a carnivore. If these people would spend their time with educating other on veganism, instead of typing in hate comments the world would be a much better place.
In theory, vegan community should be based on compassion but in reality that is what is lacking towards other human beings.
There’s plenty of things I dislike in the modern vegan community and even more that makes me a bad vegan in their eyes. In my opinion, just as there’s several types of vegetarians, there’s several type of vegans. Some might be ethical vegan, some might just follow a vegan diet, some can adopt veganism every area of their lives. Every one is trying to do something on their own way, just because not everybody can do 100% doesn’t mean they don’t try at all or they are bad. Just as being a perfect vegan won’t make you better than anyone else, you can still be mean.
The original list I made in my very first edition of this post looked like this. The point is not to prove why someone is a bad vegan but rather to show that despite you’re not perfect in all areas you’re still doing good.
- Lately companies put the vegan label on everything. Some food might be vegan but not healthy. But in peoples mind vegan=healthy they can sell it and it’s simple marketing. This si trending now so people will buy it. Even apple juice or water, I found the vegan label on my water but the same brand of water without the vegan label was much cheaper. But there’s no difference.
- For me vegan rather means highly nutrient, natural, plant food. Not a label for people to judge them by it.
- I’ve got attacked by vegans saying I can’t be vegan because I still wear my leather shoes and jacket I bought before being vegan. Why would I throw it out? I would waste it and that’s also something I hate and the most useless waste is to waste an animals life just so you can buy something then throw away. I know I could give it to someone else but I just happen to love those. Fun fact: I get these comments from vegans who shop at H&M and Zara… like did you ever think about how they make their clothes? They work with children, pay them 1$ a day, use and abuse women and kids??
- Honestly, I’m a little tired of telling people I’m vegan and then they assume I’m like a fanatic person who will try to force them to be vegan. Same when I tell to vegans that I’m “just” vegetarian. Funny how usually they approach me and then take 2 steps back like I’m a devil. I love to talk about this with anybody but I wasn’t born to be an activist. I believe mature discussion brings us more forward than picking on others food choices ever will.
- I’m also tired of people becoming a nutritionist after hearing I’m vegetarian. Thank you I know what is good for my body, what feels good and what not. Some people skip on spicey food because they stomach burns from it, others don’t eat sweets. Nobody hurts them but when you skip meat because it doesn’t feel good to consume then everybody thinks they have the right to tell you what to do.
- I have a cat. She lives with my parents now and we feed her meat. I can’t keep her on a vegan diet because she will get ill. I know many vegans say cats can live on vegan diet but I saw vegan cats and how sick they became, I’m not going to experiment on the pet I love. Also many vegans said I can’t keep a pet if I’m vegan, but hey should I leave her on the side of the road to die? Should I say no, I’m not saving a life of a baby animal because I’m vegan and pet keeping is not vegan? I believe leaving and animal to suffer and die is also murder.
- I wear contact lenses. I don’t know about any brand that is vegan therefore I shouldn’t wear them, right? I need them to swim, to watch a 3D movie in the cinema, to kickboxing… Yeah I could live without those things but I don’t want to.
- My boyfriend is a carnivore. Let’s say omnivore. You can crucify me. But since we are together he eats less meat, sometimes he eats vegan for 3-4 days and that’s progress. And he doesn’t get his meat from huge factories who fill their animals with hormones and who knows what? What you see in the vegan documentaries but from local small farmers. Sometimes I wonder how is that worse that buying your avocado and tropical fruits, picked by people who are working like slaves for few cents/day and bring it to your supermarket on a plane that damages our eco system?
- There are situations when the only thing you can do is being a bad vegan. Let’s say you’re sick and you have to take medication but the only one that helps you is not a vegan medicine. What would you do? Die for your principles? You can choose that but I choose life.
Many vegans get attacked for not being good enough or that they are extreme when they try to veganize their whole life (is there a word like that??). The only thing matters is that you try and choose the best option in every situation even if that option isn’t vegan.
I don’t think about myself as a vegetarian rather than someone who eats what feels the best for her body. I feel healthy if I eat right. And that for me means a lots of veggies and fruits and no meat, dairy and gluten. I think about myself who lives healthy and balanced who loves and respects nature and our planet. It’s all me, part of my personality and not some label I hang on myself.
So am I vegan? No. Yes.
I’m also a yogi. Teacher. Lover. Girlfriend. Friend. Daughter. Sister.
Just a normal girl who loves when her body and heart is healthy.
