Vegan Forum

I just recently began being vegan, so I have yet to deal with this. I don't talk about it much, though. If someone offers me something, I just say "no, thank you" rather then "no, I'm vegan." I'm certainly not ashamed, but I find it best to wait until someone asks me about it, such as "why don't you have a burger/donut/whatever" rather than bring it up myself. I know some people love to be conversation starters, but it isn't something I'm comfortable with quite yet.

Sadly, though, I'm sure I will have to deal with this down the road more than I'd like to. I'll never understand why not eating meat is so offensive to some people...

Yes, I know. I'm not much of a conversation starter either. I get these nasty comments after saying no thank you & then I'm asked why & when I say I am vegan that's when I get the comments.

Hi Chikenlittle and Welcome!

Well about your friend, I think she is really not a friend to you because if she really is, then she will understand why you choose to be vegan... There are lot of people who understand... Don't worry... Things will be ok I think what fishyfoxx is doing is a good way of avoiding people to criticize you

Thanks for that simple yet useful posts fishy

Whew, your friend was overly harsh.

As for my being criticized for following a primarily vegan diet, well, I expect it; alas, it comes with the territory. A fair number of people I don't even mention it to...

are you telling us that you are already used to it snog? pass through one ear and leaves the other as fast as they can... Lol

Thanks chickenlittle, fishyfoxx and everyone who has replied to this useful thread. It's helped me a lot. I've been vegetarian for years and over the last couple have tried going vegan a few times. I keep failing though and part of the difficulty is other people's attitudes. I've been mocked mercilessly for my beliefs and choices and I find it so hard to cope with. I guess I find it such an interesting subject that I always said 'no thanks, I'm vegan' when offered something inappropriate to eat. Which then created a nightmare. It seemed I never learned to just shut up! At home I eat vegan food but when I go out to dinner the problems begin when other people just present me with food I don't want to eat.

I wonder if there's anywhere on here we could talk about the ongoing difficulties and how to resolve them? Such as what to do when you're away from home, haven't taken any food, and all ther is to eat is salad rolls, chips nd ready salted walker's crisps?

By the way, I visited an extended family member a few months ago who rustled up a delicious vegan meal for me despite not knowing previously i was going to visit for dinner. (I was prepared to eat nothing or a few veggies.) I almost cried with gratitude but it made me think later about people's attitudes. He was a lovely man!

Didn't mean to hijack your thread...just think it's a great one!

It's alright Redsunflower... everyone is welcome here... feel free to express you thought and share your ideas..

Chickenlittle wrote:Have any of you been through this to?

Ya, I've lost my entire family and all my friends, including my since-birth best friend. I'll spare the details, but all it boils down to is our presence bothers them, they can't help but feel guilty and instead of change with us, they alienate what they think the source of the guilt is: You.

Here's some more text on the same matter:
http://gentleworld.org/being-vegan-in-a ... ist-world/

meign wrote:are you telling us that you are already used to it snog? pass through one ear and leaves the other as fast as they can... Lol

Meign, yes, I am used to it. I recall many years ago when explaining to a neighbor, whilst she was frying up a huge piece of liver, why I am vegetarian: for moral reasons. Geez, she totally erupted. She felt threatened, I bet. From that I have learned to say' for personal, ethical and health reasons'. These days, though, more and more people are very accepting of vegetarianism, if not veganism...

That neighbor is overacting... As if you are the only vegetarian or vegan she knows... Sometimes the saying " Experience is the best teacher" really works

Just posted this in another thread but i think it's more relevant in this one:

I have to be honest, i'm not sure if it's my persona or confidence in being a vegan but i seldom if ever encounter any teasing, perhaps people can sense that i am not the kind of person who tolerates being teased, lol i am certainly not a violent or angry person though.

Except there was this one time that was really kind of disturbing for me. i wasn't teased, it was more that i felt threatened and challenged by this man, but this guy i worked with at a regrettable job i once had found out that i didn't eat any meat and i guess that offended him. One day i went into work (this job had the most horrible environment with the worst kind of people) and the guy tells me he needs to talk with me about something. Later in the day we were in the break room together and I confront him, he then goes on to say if cooking some eggs and bacon for a Sunday breakfast in the break room for the guys at work would bother me. I explained to him that it wouldn't bother me (i would have been far away from that room if there was meat being cooked in it), that my decision to not eat animals is a personal choice and i don't try to impose it on anyone (who's not friendly, open, or receptive). He then got really feisty with me as if i was challenging his values and started describing in a threatening way how he would hog-tie and pig and butcher it himself. This was a big scary lookin' dude and it was just a disturbing experience, but after going through that i don't think any sort of 'teasing' could bother me after fearing for my well-being having been cornered alone in a crummy ass room with this confrontational man.

just thought i'd share the only time i've ever been 'teased' for being a vegan.

Wow. I have to be thankful I didn't lose my best friends. But still I didn't talk much with them about veganism, it was an instinctive decision not to discuss it with them and now I know why.

yes, yorkshire family call me a "vague-un'

level5vegan wrote:just thought i'd share the only time i've ever been 'teased' for being a vegan.

Man if he did anything to you, it would of been ok, cuz I woulda teleported thier and did my level5 abil on his azz.
PwnD...