The Gay Vegans

Don’t redefine vegan

I recently read something from an animal activist that struck me, and have been thinking about it a lot since then.

They were referring to someone questioning a well-known person’s veganism, saying that the person said they eat fish. The activists response, in supporting the person calling themselves vegan, was that people have different definitions of veganism.

For me, there is just one definition of veganism: consume no animal products. That covers it for me. Yes, it also includes for me not wearing animal products, and really trying every day to do the least amount of harm possible to all living beings. Yet at the very basic sense of the word it means not consuming animals or their by-products.

I think when people who consume animals, their by-products, and/or fish call themselves vegan, not only are they wrong, they confuse people about what veganism is, and what being a vegan is. There is no need for this, as folks who consume animal by-products but not flesh can simply call themselves vegetarian.

No judgement here. Just clarity. I don’t want the term vegan to be used when the person is not vegan. No matter who they are. It does no good for anyone, especially the animals suffering that we are trying to help.

I am vegan for the animals. I am vegan because I do not want to be part of the cruelty that animals go through to become food. I am vegan because I firmly believe that animals do not want to die to become a meal for us.

Thank you for reading and thank you for coming to my blog site.

About Dan Hanley

Gay and vegan in the burbs (of Los Angeles). I blog about veganism, equality, compassion, activism, politics, spirituality, and our awesome life experiences. The "s" includes my husband, Mike! I want this blog to be a tool to build bridges among communities and to inspire people to get involved and vote.

1 comment

  1. Mike says:

    Agreed.

    I think there is an equal danger in redefining in terms of “vegan-er-than-thou” as well. For example, when folks start to define all things moral under the blanket term vegan. However well intentioned, it doesn’t serve the movement, the animals, or the planet. Instead it serves to perpetuate the stereotype of the self-righteous vegan. Intersectional politics are exactly that, and should be discussed accordingly.

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