Today… *sigh*… I was cyber bullied for being a vegan.
YES, I KNOW.
Well, maybe cyber bullied isn’t the word… but as someone who has never been cyber bullied before, allow me some slack.
In truth, a guy with a completely ‘privacy-lock-down Facebook account’ made a stereotypical ‘how do you know if someone is a vegan… they f*cking tell you they are’-esque comment to a complaint I made on the Sainsbury’s Facebook page.
I’m not so much annoyed about the comment (because I’m totally on board with my response to him) as I am the fact that his account was locked down so hard that I was unable to pick at his human flaws and highlight them to him in response… like a good troll would expect.
“I’m a Vegan?! Yeah, well… your eyes are too far apart… aaaaaand… y’mum!”
I won’t lie, there IS an issue of people actively shouting out about their ethical choices in somewhat of a ‘preachy’ manner.
(I get it. I do. I recently unfollowed three vegan foodies on Instagram for that very reason)
But these people are not the “Oh I’m a vegan so I’ll pass on the office birthday cake, cheers.” people. Nor are they the “Hey Sainsbury’s, are Fruit Mentos Vegan because your products in store seem to be written in… is that Arabic?” people. (see image above!)
Instead, they’re the “Oh I’m a vegan because unlike you, I can’t stomach the idea of drinking the cow juice of RAPE AND MURDER AND INJUSTICE, YOU UNEDUCATED SCUM”… people.
I am not one of those people.
I mean, I AM an Ethical Vegan. I don’t forgo dairy and meat for health reasons (though I have seen the benefits of this in my overall… overallness.)
I choose to be Vegan because, as I so often put it to people who ask, “I don’t see the difference between a cow in a field and my family cat… and I wouldn’t eat her, soooo…“
Does that make sense?
I was an Ethical Vegetarian for three years or so up until earlier this year when I felt too hypocritical to still be eating cheese. Milk and eggs I could do without. But cheese?
… oh god, the cheese.
But meh, I’m over it.
I’m trying to stay on point here but the topic is just SO LARGE that I keep steering off course. Bear with me.
Bare with me?
Bear?
They both seem wrong.
I guess what I’m trying to say, and I will go into this in more detail in the future, is stop being mean to Vegans.
YES, I tell people I’m Vegan… but do you know how often the office/bar/wherever conversation steers toward food?
ALL.THE.TIME.
And it seems completely acceptable for someone to say “I’m Celiac”, “I’m Lactose Intolerant” or “I’m diabetic” when asked what you have for lunch or if you want a Jaffa cake.. but the moment you say “I’m Vegan”, the air leaves the room and you’re just judged so.frickin.hard.
Is it THAT WRONG that I don’t want to eat an egg or drink milk?! I mean… THINK WHAT THEY ARE! Even before I changed my diet I still found these two things a little gross. </minipreach>
And I know you ‘couldn’t live without cheese’ but is it so unbelievable that I can?
Be shocked. I mean, go for it. Do it. Drop your jaw when I tell you I don’t eat Babybel’s… but could you maybe try… JUST TRY… to do it out of respect that I’m that dedicated to a cause and not… I can’t even think of the word but it looks like disgust and sounds like… yeah, disgust.
I’M A FUCKING VEGAN, JOE SANDERS FROM FACEBOOK. AND?!
The Year of Fit 