Vegan Police!!!
Grrrr.
In the New Year I transitioned from vegetarian to vegan and have been excited to share this change with the people around me because it's been a huge lifestyle change, not just a dietary one.
HOWEVER what I wasn't expecting is for alot my non-veg friends and peers to turn into the f*cking vegan police! SO ANNOYING. I don't run around screaming done the halls at work "I'M A VEGAN! I'M A VEGAN! I'M HOLY AND YOU'RE SH!T!!".
The past week that I've returned to work since going vegan I've been faced with SO many stupid comments from friends/peers who all think they're the vegan police.
There is this one friend I work with who looooves to tell me what I CAN'T eat, but it's the way she says it..like we're 5 year olds playing in the sandbox and she doesn't want to invite me to her Fairy-Princess-Birthday Party.
"Oohhh you can't have piiiiiza, you can't have thiiiis, you can't have thaaaat."
I have had people question me on every material of clothing I'm wearing.."what about your sweater?! What about your boots?!"
I don't even bother to respond to these types of comments, for the most part I ignore them.
AND I SWEAR I'm not preachy or anything about my lifestyle, I haven't given them anything to be annoyed with me over to provoke this policing, other than sharing my positive change with them.
The funny thing is these are all omni's making the comments. I would maybe be less frustrated if it were life long vegans hashing this crap out to me, but it's meat and dairy eaters who obviously for whatever self-righteous reason feel the need to be d!cks.
Anybody else have problems with "Vegan Police", especially those of the omni nature?
The only thing I can think of that your level of awareness forces them to think about the things that they will willingly wear and eat. It makes them feel bad. Everyone has a-holes in their lives. It just sucks that you have to deal with so much of it. I hope things get better for you.
I feel ya. My sister used to do it to me all of the time. She still calls me "vegan freak" when I won't go somewhere with her, like a fast food place or a restaurant that offers me nothing.
But she's the one who got me to switch over my dogs to a vegan diet. The thought had never really occurred to me until she said "I was still buying animal products when I bought the dogs their normal dog food." So, TA DA, dogs went vegan.
But most other people are respectful. I think I'd be most offended by another vegan trying to call me out on something. That would actually piss me off. But I don't hang out with any other vegans other than my husband, so for now, I'm in the clear.
Try working as a logger with big vulgar beer drinking fellow employees. I just laugh it off and when they see me work harder then them they get quiet pretty quick. Really after twenty years nobody says much except light heartedly making jokes which I just ignore. Time seems to make them forget it all.
Best to just not mention it unless the need arises.
Office party or something crazy.
I hate questions
What I did was print out some different things to keep in my briefcase.
One was different veggies that contain protein.
Also the list states how much different minerals and vitamins you need daily and what fruits and veggies you will need to obtain this.
I am going to add a carb list and the myths behind that to the folder.
If some one is truly interested in your lifestyle they will let you know.
I am working with a co worker right now to transition them to the veggie life.
Vegan will come later for them no sense rushing something.
I think this will always happen to be honest. It seems to me like a lot of people work like pack animals and group together against what they perceive to be a weaker or different target. As you said, ignoring it is best but it's still frustrating. Just make yourself outrageously delicious vegan packed lunches and baked goods and quietly bask. My younger brother, whose two main food groups are "red meat" and "white meat" used to wind me up constantly. Funny how making good-looking and good-smelling foods makes him very, very polite in the hope that he might be able to try it...
Yeah, it's hard to deal with the Vegan Police, especially when they're not vegan!
I remember in middle school some idiot friend waving lunch meat in my face asking "does it gross you out?!" I just replied that the end product doesn't gross me out; the reason why I'm vegan is because how it got their grosses me out.
It's hard to reply to these things when it riles you up. Like Courth said, if you recognize that their taunting is only a sign of their discomfort (and growing awareness of what is/is not vegan), it's kind of understandable, though the way they handle it is immature. Just saying that you're vegan is like, to some people, telling them what they do every day since the beginning of their life is wrong and you disagree with it. Eating animals and their byproducts is traditional, cultural, masculine, and whatnot, and when people are aware that they have a choice and someone takes a moral stance that opposes what they do, they get offended and defensive.
I still deal with some of this stuff sometimes, and it's really on a case-by-case basis that I decide what to do. Sometimes I ignore (when I'm leafleting), sometimes I just explain whatever it is, and sometimes I have a come back (works best with close friends and not people who can become your enemy :-* ). e.g.: "That's not vegan." "Still more vegan than you!"
Speaking of lunch I always bring my lunch to work with me.
My co worker I noticed started asking what I am eating and started making similar lunches as mine.
Gotta love people who copy you.
That is a positive thing that happens rarely. Makes me so happy when some one takes your advice and tries to better themselves.
Mainly I eat a raw veggie lunch so that is even more impressive when I have someone copy me.
Speaking of lunch I always bring my lunch to work with me.
My co worker I noticed started asking what I am eating and started making similar lunches as mine.
Gotta love people who copy you.
That is a positive thing that happens rarely. Makes me so happy when some one takes your advice and tries to better themselves.
Mainly I eat a raw veggie lunch so that is even more impressive when I have someone copy me.
This happened with my dad! I linked him lots of bento lunch websites and he's embraced the idea of a balanced, healthy meal at least once a day. He rarely puts meat in his lunchbox now so it feels like a win to me. Sometimes I get little emails from him telling me today's menu:
"Spicy Cous Cous/shelled peas/suger snap peas/celary/cucumber/tomatoes/bread sticks/spicy homous. Dad."
His friends apparently get very impressed by the presentation and wholesomeness, haha. So, Purrrface: be a good example and wait for them to catch on!
People don't like what they're not used to. You nailed it, Purrface: they are being childish, regressing to playground sandbox mode. You don't preach--which is good. But you DO make them uncomfortable because you're different.
Tough noodles. Or rather, tough udon.
We're here. Keep going and it will become "normal" and they'll find someone else to hassle.
the authors of "Vegan Freak" (www.veganfreak.com) have written a good deal about dealing with the vegan police ...
~ fr
They are insecure because you are a mirror for their actions. It is more painful for them to turn inward and reflect on themselves, so they over-analyze you instead.
I think the best thing you can do is be calm. Respond to questions quickly, calmly and as if they were sincere. Then carry on like normal. The worst thing you can do is let them think they are frustrating you. Say things like, "No, I don't care to eat pizza the same way you don't care to eat some things" and move on. Just always be confident and secure and let their words slide right off. Just shrug it off. They'll know you are serious then.
we all, at some time or another, encounter the vegan police but it's probably hardest to discern which are legitimately interested in hearing the "why" of our beliefs and which are simply wanting to argue, thereby establishing some sort of "i'm better than you" for themselves ...
on occasion, say for example invited to eat pizza with coworkers, i'll simply respond that i can't eat , implying perhaps some allergy, and let it go at that rather than attempt any sort of more detailed explanation; any who might actually be interested in knowing more are, of course, free to ask me at what might be a more appropriate time.
again, Vegan Freaks go further into , dealing with friends, family, etc. ...
~ fr
i tell them that since its a choice, i can chose to eat whatever i want. i chose not to eat your cheetos because i think its gross. is there anything you think is gross that youll never eat? "tofu" well next time i bring in tofu, i'll just come temp you with it, because i know you hate it. that just doesnt make much sense does it.
hehe
I just thought of a better example of the Vegan Police situation. Quite a few years ago I spent a month in jail for something which I really didn't do. Most of the guys were just in their for minor offences, but some had other more serious things in their record. It was the first and only time in my life that I had spent time with such rough characters and it was a shock to my system until I got used to it. Anyway when I got there I wasn't sure how the diet thing was going to work out so I asked and was told I would have to talk to the doctor. This took two days in which I ate nothing, which was after five days in the local jail where I only ate a few snacks which they allowed some friends to bring in after they figured out where I was. Finally I got to talk to the doctor and he remarked rudely "I hope this isn't some kind of fad and you will want to change back in a few days". I told him it had been 15 years since I had eaten any meat so he approved it. The next meal time when my food arrived the guys were pulling there plates from the big carrying things they all come in and when I got mine it was just loaded with vegetables and salad. Really piled on! Sometimes I got some vegetarian meats too. The other guys looked at my plate and then theirs and wondered what was going on, why I got so much more than them. I explained I didn't eat meat and I guess the cooks felt sorry for me or thought I was going to starve or something so gave me a little extra. Before my month was up there was four other inmates who had changed to the same diet. The amazing thing was that no one made fun of my meals or convictions especially after we spent some time together in the gym and they saw me lifting as many weights and running as many laps as the toughest meat eater there.
I really don't get why people have to do this, but I get it all the time. From EVERYONE...it ranges from the snide comments to full on heated arguments. The first year after I decided to go vegan it really pissed me off. Now I either A)Ignore it, or B)Fight back with sarcasm. I guess you just learn to live with it, like that annoying ringing noise in your ear.
we all, at some time or another, encounter the vegan police but it's probably hardest to discern which are legitimately interested in hearing the "why" of our beliefs and which are simply wanting to argue, thereby establishing some sort of "i'm better than you" for themselves ...
on occasion, say for example invited to eat pizza with coworkers, i'll simply respond that i can't eat , implying perhaps some allergy, and let it go at that rather than attempt any sort of more detailed explanation; any who might actually be interested in knowing more are, of course, free to ask me at what might be a more appropriate time.
again, Vegan Freaks go further into , dealing with friends, family, etc. ...
~ fr
I'd hazard to say they're all legitimately interested. The worst, rudest people about being vegan have all gone vegetarian since in my experience ::) Sometimes people have difficulty expressing what they mean, or facing the fact that *they* feel uncomfortable about what they eat too (which is probably why they get so riled up).
I'd hazard to say they're all legitimately interested. The worst, rudest people about being vegan have all gone vegetarian since in my experience ::) Sometimes people have difficulty expressing what they mean, or facing the fact that *they* feel uncomfortable about what they eat too (which is probably why they get so riled up).
Yes! That is a great attitude, and I think it's very accurate as well. That's why it's important to always be gracious and confident.
When someone gets upset with you about your diet, it's about THEM, not YOU. I'm not a fan of hiding my veganism behind a guise of allergies or similar, with the exception of avoiding contamination at restaurants. I even do it with my twelve year old students, and they get it. "Why don't you eat milk? You're allergic?" "No, I just choose not to eat those things." "Oh, OK."
There is a way to be diplomatic without being confrontational. Just make it about YOU--veganism is your choice and your truth. You are not concerned with what other people eat (even though you probably really are...)--you are concerned with eating what you think is best for yourself. No one can argue with that. And if they try to argue the finer points, like fb said, they are probably really sincerely interested, and I would reply to their queries sincerely. Like, if someone says, "Oh, but your shirt isn't vegan," just give a one sentence answer about why that is/isn't the case. Be confident.
Regarding the taunting, I'm a fan of kelsi's response. Honest and easy to get. ;)b
i tell them that since its a choice, i can chose to eat whatever i want. i chose not to eat your cheetos because i think its gross. is there anything you think is gross that youll never eat? "tofu" well next time i bring in tofu, i'll just come temp you with it, because i know you hate it. that just doesnt make much sense does it.
hehe
perfect. i love this idea :)>>>
Haha. I want to wave tofu in some ones face now. Just those that do the same with meat. The sad thing is, i think many of them will freak out.
Thats one of the things i HATE about eating in a high school cafeteria, some extremely immature people find the need to show me everything they're eating and ask if i looks good to me and so on and so on. Or if i bring any "weird" food everyone gathers and asks what the heck i'm eating and why i am.
My friends do that a lot, they also fling those goldfish crackers into my lunch and wave pepperroni and lunchmeat in my face, it gets so annoying so I think I'm going to take that wave tofu in their faces idea...
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