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HOW DO PEOPLE YOU KNOW/MEET REACT TOWARDS YOUR VEGANISM? HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY CHANGE IN PEOPLE'S REACTIONS OVER THE YEARS? Location and education appear to be the biggest factors in determining what reactions vegans receive from people. United States responders agreed that, at least, people know the word now and say it correctly. Here are some quotable quotes (often humorous) in response to the question: How do People you know/meet react towards your veganism? Have you noticed any change in people's reactions over the years? "At first they assume I eat lots of salad and 'rabbit food' but we don't go very long without cooking or baking for any new acquaintances. Any pre-conceived notions about veganism are quickly debunked when they taste their first vegan lasagna or red velvet cake." "Honestly, most people haven't been very accepting of it. I guess it's because I lived in a tiny town in the Bible-belt for so long; where everyone loves fried chicken and thinks being vegan is strange and 'against God's will' (yes, I've been told that before). Apparently God wants us to torture and kill innocent chickens? Hmmmmm....." "I've only been vegan for a short time, so I can't say how the reactions have changed over the years. I can say that in Brooklyn, my being vegan was treated like a totally normal thing. Here, the Italians I encounter think I'm sick in the head and push meat in from of me anyway, and other Americans I meet tease me or just act like ignorant idiots. My fiancé is in the military and so are all the Americans we encounter on a daily basis. He's told me that it's just part of the mentality...the military is a culture, which celebrates steak and burgers." "They always ask me 'what religion is that?'" "People's reactions to my veganism vary from person to person and moment to moment. Some are accepting, some tease, some try to convince me that my choice is wrong (that even happened this morning with a close friend)... it is akin to tempting an alcoholic friend that no longer drinks and is now in recovery. Some become indignant, some accept, some have little or no reaction... and some are genuinely interested and ask good questions! I think my approach has a lot to do with their reactions (see Newton's Third Law: 'For every action there is an equal, but opposite, reaction.)" "People know what vegan means now, even in Salem, I no longer have to explain myself to every waiter I come across. I think the Pacific NW is pretty aware, overall, now. I was recently in Georgia though and had a hard time finding anything to eat, anywhere. On the other hand, New York City, this last spring, had an amazing selection of options." "Some are interested or express admiration straight away, but most tend to view it as some sort of extreme lifestyle practiced by zealots; these are the usual sort of defensive hecklers who see fit to interrogate vegans about where they get their protein and how they feel about torturing poor carrots, whenever they get a chance. Then there are the ones who express admiration but find every lame, unfounded excuse in the book to defend their personal eating habits." "Veganism damaged some of my previous friendships. A lot of people see veganism as a direct threat, even if you don't rant about it or complain about their omnivorous ways. The very presence of a vegan is enough to shake people up and make them realize, at least subconsciously, 'I am destroying sentient life for no reason' and that is a very unsettling thought. People have all sorts of defense mechanisms to avoid facing the moral imperative of veganism." "They are usually surprised and say they wish they had some self-control. Before I went vegan, I thought it was going to be really hard too. But once I did it, I found it was actually easy. Everyone I know who has decided to go vegan say they were surprised at how easy it actually was to do." "Most people I know react positively, though I have had people react negatively. For the most part I simply attempt to calmly and rationally explain my position and de-escalate the situation. I think with the whole global warming and 'mainstreaming' of veggie/earth issues, i.e. Oprah doing a 21 day vegan thing, people are a lot less likely to treat me as an oddity. They are also a lot less likely to feel threatened." "I definitely notice a change. I'm not sure how much of this is my own confidence and ability to express myself, and be sure about my values, or whether it is also partly due to a changing attitude and awareness in society; probably both." "Sometimes people think it's strange and give me a quizzical look. Other times people are intrigued and I'm met with an abundance of questions. More often than not though, I get the questions: 'So what CAN you eat?' and 'WHY are you vegan?'; the later question annoys me to no end because given how much good a single person can do and the changes one can make by simply prescribing to a vegan diet makes me want to ask, 'Why are you NOT vegan?' Because the choice I made to become vegan is, in my mind, more justified than the choice they have made to be an omnivore." "If they're not fellow travelers they think it's weird, especially here in 'cattle country'!" "The most common response recently has been 'I could never do that.' The idea of veganism is accepted in more communities. Whereas in past instances I expected people to look at me as though I'd mutated in a troubling way before their eyes, now people know what it's about a bit more and are curious and inquisitive. I expect even more understanding to come with someone like Oprah, who is an institution, familiarizing a mainstream audience with veganism." "Somewhat negative, but those that truly love me are 100% supportive." "I have noticed more open-mindness about veganism for the most part; it still seems to be a difficult lifestyle for the older (grandparent) generation to wrap their brains around." "The major change I have noticed is that almost everyone now knows what vegan means. I am proud of being a vegan and I think people treat you according to how you feel about yourself. I feel lucky that my veganism is, for the most part, respected by people that I know that aren't vegan." "At first people were skeptical, teasing me and at times even hostile towards me. But after 20 years, as they get (and look) older, take more medications, get greyer, heavier, and more tired, their attitude has changed for the better as they see me stay basically the same. Now people are usually more accepting and curious, not as judgmental and critical. People ask a lot more questions than before." "Over the years, some people still apologize to me for eating meat, some forget over and over that I'm vegan, some treat me like I have a disease or a weird religion, doesn't bother me; I just go along and I find humor in it." "In the smaller towns I'm seen as a freak. Here in the Bay Area, it's not a big deal at all." "In D.C., being a vegan is not an issue. I do think veganism has gained more acceptance over the years.” Anonymous, Washington, D.C., USA "It depends on the social context. Older folks have a very difficult time understanding it. The younger generation; not at all, lately. I've been meeting veg*ns in the most unexpected places. There definitely seems to be a generational divide; young people have no problem understanding how veganism works and why." "With shock, pity, awe, dismay, with compliments and concern, I'm sure it runs the whole array of reactions. More people are accepting of it now (here in Eugene, Vegan freak capital of the states)." "...I think reactions have become milder over the years and perhaps that is because I am now older, and in theory, wiser." "But how do you get your protein?' 'You can't get enough calcium with that kind of a diet' 'What does that mean?' 'Humans are meant to eat meat' 'I could never do that'. People's reactions are the same, but more people are listening more carefully to the answers I give them." "They're animals; God put them here for people to eat', 'Who cares, they're animals' I could go on and on about the things I've heard. I have really educated myself so I could educate them, which leads to them opening their eyes." "Condescending tolerance. No change." "It's still considered an odd lifestyle here, radical actually." "Most people who aren't educated say 'I could never give up meat' or 'Tofu! Ugh' But if given a chance, people come to realize that there are reasons to make this change that aren't just a fad." "...Their reaction depends on the setting. If I am tabling at an environmental conference I see people very interested in veganism. I firmly believe that since 'An Inconvenient Truth' people have been more receptive to taking responsibility and facing reality. In my personal life I find that more often people are at least familiar with the word 'vegan' and that they are more concerned with animal cruelty than they used to, but I don't think they are more inclined to try veganism themselves." "They expect me to be a hippy and are delighted to see that I'm a healthy looking person. In fact it usually inspires further conversation. I would say that the ONLY people who have been at all argumentative are those that I know who are Paleolithic diet supporters, honestly." "The people I know are fine with my veganism. I have been around and associated with a certain type of educated, middle class, aware type of people. I haven't experienced the ridicule that some vegans experience. However, I have after I became an outspoken activist. Initially I came on too strong and made others defensive, before I learned how to approach people. I think this is common. I am always trying to learn how to be effective at reaching and persuading people. I made a lot of mistakes in the past!" "My main reaction is that people are interested or intrigued. They stare about my food and always ask questions like 'what is that?' 'How do you make that?' Sometimes at work I have felt like a zoo exhibition because they are all just looking at my food and asking what it is. More people are becoming vegetarian first and then vegan. I find people are interested in it from their own point of view - for example, a woman at work recovered from breast cancer and this is what she would be interested in. My brother-in-law was interested due to animal cruelty, etc." "A lot of people don't 'get it'. Or they don't want to hear about it since they would have to examine their own lives and the cruelty they are contributing to." "Yes, the 'happy meat' thing is out of control these days. I get a lot more people telling me that it's o.k. that they aren't vegan because they only eat organic, free-range bullshit. I know there is more awareness in general, but the humane meat movement has had a serious backfire effect." "I generally get a positive response. Most people are just curious as to why or how long I've been doing it, etc., I make a point of not getting angry with people who make typical comments such as 'I could never live without my meat' or 'plants have feelings too', as this rarely achieves anything other than to give the person the rise they were looking for...." "In just the past year or so, veganism seems to be a word that everyone understands the meaning of (and how to pronounce it), accepts (as here to stay) and respects (without necessarily embracing it for themselves). For instance, today at the grocery store, I met the butcher on his cigarette break out in the front of the store. He said he'd seen me inside a few times. I laughingly told him that it couldn't have been me at the meat counter! We had a friendly conversation about veganism; he thought it was funny when I told him that a clerk refers new customers who ask for the meat department to 'the morgue'. (That true story is told by Laura Moretti in an essay on www.animalsvoice.com)." "They're usually horrified at the thought of not eating meat products, milk, etc." "...As the years go on society seems more accepting of veganism as more and more supporting evidence emerges." "I'd say the reactions I get are fairly mixed. I get those who really want to relate to you and insist that they do not consume 'very' much meat and 'could' be vegetarian. And then I get some who insist that we are designed to eat animals (canine teeth, top of the food chain, etc.) And then there are those who insist that not eating meat is a sin because it's in the bible that we are 'supposed' to eat meat. Whatever, I don't want to worship a god who tells me to murder." "...I mountain bike and, within the group I cycle in, my fitness is much respected so that automatically kills any negative comments about the healthiness of my diet." "I am very up front about it and don't apologize. I think in this one regard, I command respect, and respect is what I get. I don't take a holier-than-though tone, but I do speak up about what happens to animals used for meat, milk, and eggs. People can't argue with it, and they don't give me any shit, never have." "Most people think I am an extremist, but they tend to agree with me when I talk about animal cruelty and suffering. If they had to go out and kill their own animals, they would all be vegan." "...Rather than giving vegetarian/veganism a try, I'm finding more people trend towards purchasing "happy meat"; very discouraging." "Some react like a vegan is no better than a Satan-worshipper, some don't care, some feel like the very fact that you are vegan is an attack on them, and they act rude and defensive, a very few admire you and ask intelligent questions, but most want to know if you eat fish or chicken. Over the years the biggest change I have seen in people, is claiming to be vegan even though they eat dead animals and animal products. The word 'vegan' is rapidly losing it's meaning as the word vegetarian has. For non-vegans to claim to be vegan is offensive and disrespectful of our beliefs, philosophy and culture." "Since quitting meat in '75 and dairy in '85, I have heard all the bad jokes, insults and foolish questions. A few more folks know what a 'vegan' is, but the media onslaught against vegans is more powerful than ever." "...It's definitely more mainstream than it was 5 years ago. I see the word vegan in the news and on TV shows and movies, quite a bit now." "Swiss Mountain people don't even know vegetarianism." "More people seem to know what a vegan is nowadays. I feel somewhat miffed at people who seem to think that chicken and fish are vegetables; where are their brains at???? There are always those who will say 'What on earth do you eat?', showing their own lack of varied diet." "Yep, people are more respecting now; in the old days if you said you were a vegan they though you'd just walked off the set of Star Trek." "They say the admire me but at the same time don't make any effort to change their diet." "Depends on where I am. In California, it doesn't seem to matter much. In the Midwest (where I am from), people tend to think I'm a freak." " 'Hitler was a vegetarian!', 'Wasn't Dr. Spock vegan?', 'Oh, think of the poor plants!', 'But if we don't eat cows, they will overpopulate the earth!', 'If you don't milk cows, they explode!'; NO, people don't change and they seem to all use the same excuses too." "Most are surprised that I still look healthy. They are also surprised that I have a proper job, have a shower every day, wear shoes, go to the gym and shave my legs and armpits." |