Why is veganism 'cute'? Get the support you deserve

June 30, 10:59 PMDenver Vegan ExaminerSara Jelley

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Grilled vegan pizza my sister and I made together. The fam loved it!

What to do when people don’t take you seriously: the “cute factor” of veganism

“Aren’t you over this vegan phase yet?”
“Oh look, how cute, vegan food!”
“Look at you, eating your veggies. That’s so cute!”
“I was vegan for like four hours once.”

Have you ever heard these phrases, even from family and people you care about?

This is an age in which even the compassionate few divide themselves into groups of the “more vs. less compassionate” or “extremists vs. ignorant.” Vegans and vegetarians are on the brink of being at war with each other even though veg people alike are all working toward having a better reputation in mainstream American society. It can be very difficult to stay vegan after weeks of having to read labels and question waitresses beyond what seems reasonable to the non-vegan lifestyle. You may suspect that your friends are getting tired of you taking longer to order than they, and you may feel like you are being rude to dinner hosts or waitresses simply by asking them to go the extra mile. Your family may get impatient, wondering when they can cook you a “normal” meal again, and your acquaintances don’t really understand your reasons for going vegan, responding with a “how cute!” to the new vegan product in the grocery store that has got you excited.

Here’s the bottom line: You deserve to live the life you want. If you have made the decision to go vegan, there is nothing stopping you but yourself. If you want the awkward and rude reactions from your family and friends to stop, confront them about it. Tell them you don’t appreciate that they don’t take you seriously enough to support your choice. If you speak from the heart, they will always listen.

Have some humility about it, though. If your family supports you, but jokingly pokes fun at you like mine does occasionally (i.e. “Could you possibly eat any healthier, Sara?”), don’t get defensive or angry before you know the character of a statement. Angry vegans do not help our cause.

Show your non-vegan counterparts the real reasons you are vegetarian. Show them the best parts; the most rewarding to the silliest guilty pleasures that we all still have as vegans, just without the cruelty. Show them that a vegan lifestyle is not something that is simply a phase, or a “cute” quirk about you. Show them that it can be amazing, especially if you persevere through the difficulties that everyone has in devising a diet and lifestyle that works for you individually. Show them the vegan light at the end of the vegetarian tunnel.

For more info:
Vegan Hope is a great resource for beginning vegans. This blog author is inspirational and reliable for good information and support for any vegan or wannabe vegan.
Vegan.com is your resource for news, products and anything and everything vegan.