Actually, Vegans Don't Lecture People Enough

‘How do you know if someone’s vegan? Don’t worry, they’ll tell you,’ the trite saying goes. The reality is that for most vegans, most of the time, people find out we’re vegan when asking why we’ve declined an offer of food or overhearing us ask a waiter what the vegan options are, not because we’ve brought up the subject. Far from being subject to harassment or unfair scrutiny, the people who make such ‘jokes’ are getting off lightly.

Every year, over 72 billion land animals and 1.2 trillion aquatic animals are slaughtered, treated as commodities in a system that ultimately reduces the amount of food available for humans and is one of the largest contributors to climate change. Almost all of these animals live short and miserable lives. Not only is our treatment of non-human animals a moral outrage in itself, it has the potential to cause untold millions of humans to be displaced or die as a result of environmental degradation and natural disasters, the effects of overconsumption of animal products on health, and future pandemics that will make the era of COVID-19 look like the good old days. To say the situation we are in is urgent sounds woefully inadequate.

Even the most committed, zealous vegan activists do not respond with the level of outrage and action the situation warrants. For any one individual to do so would likely lead to financial ruin, an unsustainable level of social isolation, and jail time. Personally, there’s a lot more I should do, and want to do, for the cause but I’m not willing to become a martyr to it and I don’t expect anyone else to be.

While we cannot truly act with the level of urgency the situation demands by spending all day everyday fiercely advocating for animals we can stop worrying so much about what non-vegans think.

Of course non-vegans will not initially respond positively to having their choices called out, they are non-vegans! You will see claims that you are trying to make people feel guilty, that you are trying to force them not to buy what they want, as if the words you typed in a Facebook comment will somehow physically follow them to the grocery store and slap a carton of eggs out of their hands. You will see claims that you are being classist because if they can’t afford to buy Beyond Burgers they must purchase animal meat, despite beans and legumes being the cheapest protein sources available. These people are trying to centre themselves as the victim in a situation in which they are not. Ignore it. These kinds of responses are not a sign you said something wrong, went too far or have ‘given vegans a bad name.’ They are a natural and inevitable result of advocating for social change.

So do not be discouraged by the pushback, and definitely do not allow lame jokes to make you feel ashamed for doing the right thing. Yes, we should treat everyone with respect, and as much kindness and empathy as we can. This doesn’t require allowing them to abuse animals, or pay for them to be abused, and go unchallenged. Encouraging people to do better, correcting things they get wrong and being respectful, empathetic or even friendly are not mutually exclusive. Continue to challenge and question people, to speak up for animals whenever you can (this is something I really need to work on myself, and practising this until I find a style that’s workable for me is one of my short-term goals) and get active in whatever way you can. Whatever non-violent option you choose is justified and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.