Vegan Scaremongering

This is one topic I am very passionate about. Vegans have a very bad name for themselves. We are crazy outsiders who have wild outlandish views and shove those views down peoples throats. 

For most of us that isn't true. We are just regular people trying to lead a less damaging and more healthy lifestyle. 

There are a few Vegan out there who for whatever reason feel they are above everyone else, I like to call these people the Vegan police. You know what I am talking about, the people that comment on someone's photo on Instagram calling them a fake vegan or just hating on them for their simple and easy mistakes. 

Being vegan isn't about who can do it the best or be the purest. It is a community who should support anyone who wants to give it a go even if they only go vegan once a week or live the most Vegan lifestyle ever. 

A woman at work today asked me about being Vegan etc and said she had been put off doing it in case she did it wrong! How crazy is that. She was already a veggie but didn't want to make the leap for fear of being judged if she did it 'wrong' whatever that is. 

Being Vegan comes with guidelines but no set in stone rules. People should not be feeling like they cannot join the group because we will judge them when we find out they are not using Vegan shampoo because they cannot afford it! That is madness. 

We all know the harsh reality is that we will never be able to get everyone in the world to go Vegan but by making it such a selective group only open to the Vegan police we are stopping people from doing their bit to help even if it is simply meatless Mondays or going veggie. 

As a community it is our responsibility to welcome and help as many people as we can and not let newbies feel like they are outsiders or as if we will judge them for whatever aspects of being Vegan they try and take up. 

I don't want to be pigeon holed into a freak who hates people who don't follow the unspoken rules.

Fuck all of that. I am Vegan but I also make my own rules to go along with that and screw anyone who tried to tell me that I am not doing it right or what I do doesn't make me a Vegan. 

Rant over!