A few weeks ago, Josh and I attended the wedding of our friend Mirel and her partner Mark. It was a fabulous event and we were thrilled to be part of the celebrations.
But of course any invitation to a party such as a wedding brings along associated food fears for vegans. We always worry if our choices have been considered or if we’ll be stuck with a bowl of lettuce.
Our fears were unfounded as Mirel (a vegan herself) made sure the many plant eaters in attendance were thoughtfully fed. Check out the photos below to see the vegan thali served for lunch, the masses of vegan cupcakes and the towering vegan wedding cake (the latter two both made by London business Ms Cupcake).
Why are McDonald’s restaurants closing all over the UK?
I was walking along the high street of my new neighbourhood when I noticed a shop front that looked to be recently vacated. Staring carefully at the place where the business sign used to be, I could make out the outline of the word McDonald’s.
How fantastic! Any McDonald’s closure is a good thing for animals. This particular branch had minced up and sold dead animals for more than 30 years and now it was gone. But why are these stores closing and does it even mean people are eating more compassionately?
I get emails every day from people wanting information about where to eat/shop/visit and as much as I love to help, there is only one FGV to go around.
So I hatched a plan.
I decided to create a space on my blog where anyone could register and share information about their favourite vegan topics. I wanted to make it possible for visitors to my blog to have as much useful information as possible at their fingertips.
That’s why you can now be a part of FGV Forum.
The FGV Forum has areas for users to share info on topics such as:
best places to eat around the UK, Europe and the world
vegan deals in UK supermarkets
vegan alcohol brands
recipes
demonstrations and petitions
In addition, there is a place for users to introduce themselves and chat about any topics related to veganism.
The FGV Forum is brand new and will probably experience a few teething problems. For instance, Hotmail email addresses are experiencing sign up difficulties but this problem is being worked on.
I would be delighted if you could assist me in making it an important hub for new and longtime vegans alike. The more information we all post, the more valuable the forum becomes.
Head on over to the FGV Forum now and get posting!
The fun and glory of London Vegan Beer Fest will long be remembered by the almost 500 attendees. We had sun, beer, food and music. Everyone felt like a winner. (see the photos here)
If you couldn’t be with us on the day, here is your chance to take home a little piece of the magic.
You can now buy on of the limited edition London Vegan Beer Fest tote bags. Your friends will be jealous as you strut through town with this organic cotton bag draped over your shoulder.
The logo is printed with vegan ink and you can choose from red or white cotton.
Get buying!
I only have a few of these bags remaining and I will ship anywhere in the world (price is inclusive of shipping/postage). Every order will also get a physical copy of the London Vegan Beer Fest programme.
Choose your bag colour and finalise your order below! (contact me for multiple bag orders for combined shipping)
I have been toying with the idea of writing a blog post challenging the trend of showcasing vegan men as tough, virile and strong but then the fabulous Jamie J. Hagen wrote this and used words to teach everyone a lesson with much more effect than I ever could.
But I would still like to give some personal insight.
I know I play the jolly food fool on this blog, but I do admit at times being upset by interactions I have with strangers online and in real life. Being a fat, gay vegan isn’t all crispy fake chicken and belly laughs.
Today I received a string a Tweets from a person asking why I don’t post photos of ‘real’ food and why everything I eat is processed.
I responded to these requests with a simple question of my own: Why do you want to know?
Typical of these sorts of interactions, my question was met with a nasty retort. I was told that I am not the sort of vegan this person wanted to follow. The gay part of FGV had interested them but the processed nature of my diet was a real turn off for them.
I thanked them for taking the time to judge me.
I’m sure it is as clear to you as it was to me. This person was not actually interested in finding out why I eat the way I do, they wanted to try and make me feel bad and ashamed for it.
Well, if they are reading:
The reasons for the way I eat are complex. My eating is the sum of decades of socialisation, emotional upheaval, happiness, media manipulation, body shaming, guilt, cultural experiences, joy, sorrow, privilege, discrimination, economic factors, family input, ethical concerns, poverty, personal preference and strangers projecting negativity in real life or via social media.
Now that is out of the way, here’s a little something else I want to get off my chest.
I do not welcome or seek input, advice or comment from strangers regarding what I eat or my body size, just as I would never write to a person I don’t know with similar advice.
My body and my food choices are for me to judge and manage. My platform as Fat Gay Vegan is not an invitation for you to personally critique me. If you don’t know me on an intimate level, don’t presume I want to hear your opinion on what I put in my body. I really don’t and I find your intrusions upsetting and at times very fucking distressing.
If your intent is to knowingly try and shame me for who and what I currently am, or how I identify, kindly fuck off.
Even from a young age, all I thought about was cake
One of my favourite past times is trolling up and down supermarket aisles looking for vegan products. The first thing I love to do when arriving somewhere on vacation is find the nearest grocery store. It is my signature move.
I recently (as in two days ago) moved housed to another part of London so of course before I even unpacked, I made a direct route to the supermarket.
My new local Sainsbury’s is a big one, with plenty of vegan goods to keep me overfed. Much of it was the same old stuff I’ve seen everywhere else, but three products caught my attention.
They have all possibly been on the market for a while, but it was the first time my fat gay eyes had seen them.
Have you tried any of the treats below? Do you love supermarket tourism as much as I do?
I don’t mind paying people to cook for me, but the truth is my partner Josh and I do a mighty fine job of keeping the vegan food on the table ourselves.
Josh is more of a main meal creator whereas I love snacks such as decadent toasted sandwiches. Just like Hannah Montana, it’s the best of both worlds.
Below are a few photos detailing some of the delights that have been crafted in our kitchen over the last two weeks or so. I have added a ‘Josh’ or ‘FGV’ after each photo description to let you know which fat, gay vegan made the meal.
Once you have scrolled through all the photos, for a bit of fun vote in the comments by stating whose food you would rather sit down to every night. FGV or Josh?
How lovely! My blog has been nominated for an award.
Last year I was honoured to be the recipient of the Best Blogger award, voted by visitors to the VegFestUK website, and the nominations have been announced for the 2014 version. I am thrilled to be nominated again.
You can visit the awards page here to cast your vote for Best Blogger. Of course I would be incredibly appreciative if you voted for me. It’s always nice to get a pat on the back.
While you are there, have your say in all the remaining categories as well.
Something popped up in my Twitter timeline this morning that made me feel sad and angry.
There is an annual sporting event in Wales called Man V Horse. This mini marathon is staged through the Welsh countryside and features people attempting to complete the course before riders on horseback.
As I watched the video showcasing the event (see below), of course I was instantly horrified by the use of animals in a sporting event. I am opposed to animals being used for any form of entertainment, especially a cross country race that they most definitely would not enter and run without a human on their back.
