Hello! Been Vegan for a Few Months & Need Advice
Posted: Thu Jun 21, 2018 11:35 pm
Context: I was someone who took a whiiiile to get of the fence and finally become vegan. When I started being vegan, I was uncomfortable with using the label on myself. I was afraid of peoples' perceptions of me, that they would assume I am "militant" and "crazy" and "irrational". Now I use it just fine.
I was thinking about activism lately and wondering why am I uncomfortable with being a vegan activist myself. For example, I'm nervous/uncomfortable to buy a vegan t-shirt, let alone get a vegan tattoo. Even if the t-shirt is one of Monami Frost's/ Anrjis Straume's designs with a cool looking V (which is really the only one I've liked). It's literally just a V. Why am I uncomfortable with that?
A friend who was vegan once before, who has gotten quite defensive with me in the past, asked me if it was because I might stop being vegan. I have wondered that before, but I paused and said "No, because I know too much about how animals are treated, how the environment suffers, and how slaughterhouse workers are treated".
What made me go vegan was my ecology class, learning about trophic levels and land requirements for animal agriculture. It all felt so stupid to me to keep participating in the consumption of animal products.
In all honesty, my being uncomfortable with being an activist is probably because of what I'm afraid people will respond with and assume of me (due to how defensive that friend of mine got -- we're very close). I don't want my personhood to reduced to a label.
I'm starting to feel like my friends aren't supportive and that's taking a toll on me. I don't have any vegan friends.
If anyone has had similar thoughts or experiences or just general good insight, please share it with me. <3
I was thinking about activism lately and wondering why am I uncomfortable with being a vegan activist myself. For example, I'm nervous/uncomfortable to buy a vegan t-shirt, let alone get a vegan tattoo. Even if the t-shirt is one of Monami Frost's/ Anrjis Straume's designs with a cool looking V (which is really the only one I've liked). It's literally just a V. Why am I uncomfortable with that?
A friend who was vegan once before, who has gotten quite defensive with me in the past, asked me if it was because I might stop being vegan. I have wondered that before, but I paused and said "No, because I know too much about how animals are treated, how the environment suffers, and how slaughterhouse workers are treated".
What made me go vegan was my ecology class, learning about trophic levels and land requirements for animal agriculture. It all felt so stupid to me to keep participating in the consumption of animal products.
In all honesty, my being uncomfortable with being an activist is probably because of what I'm afraid people will respond with and assume of me (due to how defensive that friend of mine got -- we're very close). I don't want my personhood to reduced to a label.
I'm starting to feel like my friends aren't supportive and that's taking a toll on me. I don't have any vegan friends.
If anyone has had similar thoughts or experiences or just general good insight, please share it with me. <3