Hi. The Planet Is On Fire. Are Vegans Still Too Pushy?
You don’t have to like us but let’s be honest about the consequences of eating animals
One of the common criticisms lobbed against vegans is that we’re pushy. Of course, you’ve heard the old chestnut: “Q: How can you tell if someone is vegan? A: Don’t worry. They’ll tell you.” Get it? Because, like, we’re are all up in your business and blasting our irksome vegan vibes all over the place, perpetually dialed to 11 like the amps in Spinal Tap.
I have been told vegans are annoying, nosy and intrusive since I first went vegan in 1995 and after 25 years, it’s crystal clear to me that the mere presence of a vegan, physically or virtually, provides all that is needed for a defensive reaction. A friend, who is a meat-eater, remarked on his Facebook recently that all he did was post favorably about a brand of vegan sausages and he faced all kinds of heckling. He is an omnivore and that one little post was triggering enough for haters to come out of the woodwork. If there’s one thing people can bond on across political and social divides, it’s that vegans are pushy and aggressive, even when they’re not actually vegan.
This pervasive cultural notion of The Pushy Vegan is worth examining and having an honest, humble reckoning with as we enter a new season…
