Seen a lot of posts on Lemmy with vegan-adjacent sentiments but the comments are typically very critical of vegan ideas, even when they don’t come from vegans themselves. Why is this topic in particular so polarising on the internet? Especially since unlike politics for example, it seems like people don’t really get upset by it IRL
Currently being vegan or vegetarian is a choice of privilege. An healthy and varied diet becomes more difficult and expensive, when you start removing dishes from your pallet.
So it becomes coupled with a status symbol, instead of being the default way. As long as people call themselves “vegan” or “vegetarian” because of their choice (people being vegan or vegetarian because of mental or medical issues, is different case), they highlight that status over “normal” people.
Creating societal change, to make vegan or vegetarian the default position, will also lessen their status. So they have incentives to not make produce a political or societal change.
Vegans & vegetarians should go on protests and lobby to make vegan food cheaper and easier than meat, so that it becomes the default. If they don’t do that, and still call themselves vegan/vegetarian then that means it is all about showing their status, and people don’t like that.
ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 6 months ago
They are way overly convinced their option is the best and only viable option, and they won’t shut up about. They also want special treatment at all gatherings. “You don’t have a vegan option?” “I said I was a vegan and all they gave me was a simple salad” “You’re hurting the environment” blah blah blah.
Yes, “not all vegans are like that”, but enough are that it makes them all assumed to be annoying.
How do you know someone is a vegan? Don’t worry. They’ll tell you.
CalciumDeficiency@lemmy.world 6 months ago
I can see why not having vegan options at gatherings is frustrating, tbh. For the same reason not having halal or kosher options is also frustrating if you are going to invite guests with those restrictions. Providing a decent vegan option is easy and nonvegans can also eat it, plus you can easily make it a catch-all option for gf folk as well. I wouldn’t throw a fuss about it, or post about it online, but I always try to make sure there’s a vegan option when bringing snacks in for the kids at school for example (I’m a highschool teacher) so everyone can participate
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 6 months ago
I don’t.
I invited you to my event. You’re vegan? Too fucking bad.
BombOmOm@lemmy.world 6 months ago
Considering even a caesar salad (cheese) and Jell-O (gelatin) are not vegan, providing vegan options really isn’t particularly easy. Most events will have vegetarian options without even thinking about it. However, vegan options require very explicitly thinking about what is offered. Meanwhile, group event planning is already a PITA without such heavy restrictions.
Treczoks@lemmy.world 6 months ago
As someone who knows his ways around the kitchen: No. It is definitely not easy, even if you just go for the salad option. Have you ever looked at any ingredient list? Some store-bought “fresh” pasta is not vegan. A lot of things you would not think for a second about them containing animal products like salad dressings are actually not vegan. In a lot of countries, McDonalds fries are not vegan.
And as soon as it comes to the necessity to replace non-vegan ingredients with vegan ones, you’ll fall down a rabbit hole of “this can be used to replace that, but only in those circumstances”, “Yes, you can replace X with Y, but you have to be careful to cover up some flavors”, or even “The replacement for X is basically a doctoral thesis in chemsitry”.
ColeSloth@discuss.tchncs.de 6 months ago
See. Here we are. Even now. “Vegan option yadda yadda. So easy. Why would you invite such and such without thinking of food restrictions blah blah blagh”
You couldn’t help yourself.