Focus with Gem

Originally posted on my personal blog in 2018.

Still not a vegan.

I’m still not a vegan. I might never go vegan, but the possibility is always there and I have considered it. I do feel guilty about animals being killed so that we can eat. In the UK we don’t need to eat meat,so no animal really needs to die so that I don’t go hungry. I feel quite stressed out about the dairy industry, calves being removed from their mother so that we can have their milk feels quite traumatic. And not only that, but if you’ve watched Cowspiracy then you’ll have been just as shocked as me to learn how much agriculture is contributing to greenhouse gases. Veganism is also the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, and yes, I am now looking to overhaul my make-up with vegan and cruelty free products, but to me that was kind of unrelated to veganism.

I guess that’s my issue really. I don’t want the label. I want to eat what I want to eat and not feel like I have to justify my choices; ‘oh so what are your reasons for being a vegetarian?’ I have answered this question about 4million times in the 13 years I’ve been veggie. I’ve probably asked it of other vegetarians/vegans too, of course. But on top of that people are now asking vegans if they’re ethical or environmental. We have to put a label on the bloomin’ label now.

Vegans have a bad reputation for being preachy about it. And some vegans are preachy about it. So, people don’t like preachy vegans and some vegans don’t like some meat eating people. SERIOUSLY?

So, I’m putting it out there; I’m still not a vegan. I might never be. I might do some things that make me seem like a vegan. But I don’t want, and don’t think I’ll ever want, the label of ‘vegan’. I want to eat what I want to eat without having to feel guilty about it, explain it, defend it, apologise for it, be judged for it. Just let me eat what I want to eat. I honestly don’t care what you have on your plate, so why should you care what I have on mine.

#stillnotavegan #rantover