vegan activism

The power of saying you are vegan

by

Here’s a blast from the past!

Every month I write a column for Vegan Life Magazine and sometimes I re-share the content on here.

Today I am sharing my column from way back at the end of 2017. I hope you enjoy it!

You can subscribe to Vegan Life Magazine online and be sure to follow them on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The power of saying “No, thanks. I’m vegan”

We’ve all been there. That awkward moment when you are out with friends, work colleagues, family members or even people you don’t know all too well and somebody offers you something to eat or drink that isn’t vegan.

There can be an uncomfortable silence and you can often feel a huge desire to not want to offend people or come across as a difficult vegan.

Well, I’m here to tell you it’s OK to say no to non-vegan offerings with a friendly confidence.

Actually, it’s more than just OK.

Learning to love saying “I’m vegan” gives you confidence in your beliefs, affords people a super quick insight into the type of person you are (i.e. kind!) and acts as a form of outreach to help spread your compassionate message of caring for animals.

For some people, becoming confident and comfortable with the decision of going vegan and being vocal about it takes time. One of the best ways to become assured of your own veganism is to talk about it and this can include something as simple as turning down non-vegan food.

I strongly believe a confident vegan is an attractive friend prospect to most people, not just other vegans.

When it comes to picking my friends and the people around me, there is nothing more important or admirable than a person who believes strongly in something positive and takes an unwavering stand on that topic.

You are going to look like a person of your convictions to those around you if you employ a zero-tolerance approach to non-vegan food items. I’ve been vegan for twenty years and one of the things my friends say they love about me is my commitment to the causes in which I believe.

A confident person who can be unapologetically vegan with a smile on their face is not only an admirable person, they are also the best form of activism.

When a kind and approachable vegan stands firm and friendly in their convictions, it is the best advertisement for veganism. When people see you sticking to your beliefs yet still getting on with life and enjoying the company of those around you, it can be the inspiration they need to start thinking about taking that step themselves.

It’s not being preachy to say “No, thanks. I’m vegan.” It’s being true to yourself and it is just one of the ways you are working to improve outcomes for animals.

The majority of vegans you know haven’t always been vegan, so they must have had a first time hearing about the lifestyle.

Think of how many people’s first time you can be if you find a way to say no to non-vegan food. By politely but assuredly turning down non-vegan food and drink, you might just be positioning yourself as the seed that will one day sprout and take someone on their compassionate journey.

Seeds sprouting into compassionate journeys? Yes, even my metaphors are vegan.

Of course it isn’t always plain sailing when you are the only vegan in your social group. People can sometimes take your vegan stance as an attack on their choices or even come to see you as a ‘sanctimonious inconvenience’ (yes, that happened to me and still stings).

It can be a tricky balancing act to manoeuvre within certain groups of friends and family, but it is completely OK to stand your vegan ground even when some individuals will see your lifestyle choice as a challenge.

It’s completely understandable how the concept of veganism will be met with some resistance when you consider how ingrained the use of animals is in our society. Heck, they are even in our money!

But that is exactly why we are vegan. We want to help enact a change in these attitudes and practices in order to cause less harm. A little social awkwardness is surely a small price to pay as we find our vegan feet and save the planet.

You can gently yet firmly reassure people that your choice to not consume animal products is based on how you feel about the world around you (and animals!) and is not an attack on their personal consumption of ribs, rumps and legs. You can do this in a good-natured way that doesn’t have to lead to offense being taken.

It’s your decision and your life being affected, not theirs. Being self-assured and happy with your choices is one of the best parts of living vegan. Learn to enjoy it.

Latest issue of T.O.F.U. Magazine out now

by

Continuing to showcase personal stories and long-form interviews around topics of oppression and activism, T.O.F.U. Magazine is proud to announce the release of its latest issue, which focuses on capitalism and veganism.

From whether or not voting with our dollar and working within the system is creating change to dreaming of ways to build something different, T.O.F.U. #15 shares the thoughts and experiences of vegan business owners (e.g., Herbivore Clothing, Food Fight!, and Scapegoat Tattoo), activists (e.g., lauren Ornelas of Food Empowerment Project), and more to try and make some sense of the tangled web we weave when money gets involved.

“When you’re looking at the intersections between capitalism and veganism, there are no easy answers,” admits Ryan Patey, T.O.F.U.’s Editor and Co-Founder. “However, as veganism gains in popularity in many parts of the world, and large companies continue to seek profit without a real interest in our ethics, it’s a subject we’re going to have to tackle more and more.”

Thanks to the contributions of vegans involved directly with the capitalist system through operating vegan businesses and those trying to live outside of it as much as possible, T.O.F.U. #15 hopes to help encourage these tough conversations, both within the community and ourselves.

As always, the new issue is available through a pay-what-you-can system (because increasing access instead of profits is important!) along with all the other past issues.

Click here to access the latest copy of T.O.F.U. magazine.

Follow T.O.F.U. on Instagram and Facebook.

Art for animals

by

Up to forty artists are set to show their work in a London gallery to advocate for animal rights.

Here are all the details you need.

Artist Aisha Eveleigh has organised an art exhibition in central London to raise awareness of animal exploitation and its consequences.

The name Behind Closed Doors refers to the way our mistreatment of animals is hidden from the general public. Most of us have little idea what happens to animals behind the doors of factory farms, slaughterhouses and vivisection labs.

The exhibition seeks to bring these issues into the light, changing the way we think about animal rights.

For this reason, Aisha views the Behind Closed Doors exhibition as a form of activism. Vegan artists like Dana Ellyn and Sue Coe will be exhibiting their work, whilst YouTubers Earthling Ed and Vegan Geezer are among those giving talks.

The exhibition will take place at the Strand Gallery in London. It will be open from the 26th to the 29th of May, with an open event day on the 27th. On this day, there will be a variety of talks and performances, along with creative workshops to get involved in.

If you’d like to support this inspiring project, make a donation via the Indiegogo fundraising page. Donating £5 gets you unlimited entry into the exhibition, while donating more gets you added perks. Even if you can’t make it to the event, donations will no doubt be very much appreciated!

For more information on the exhibition, visit the website.

You can also RSVP and invite friends on the Facebook event page.

Call to action

by

London. I just about survived running Vegan Christmas Market yesterday.

This blog post is not designed to moan about how hard I had to work, but rather to inspire you to take action and become personally invested and instrumental in the growth and sustainability of independent vegan events and businesses in your city. Don’t you want to be a part of the wellness of your community while you save animals from harm?

Thousands upon thousands of people turned up to Hackney Downs Studios yesterday. So many people attended that the food vendors could not feed everyone. Look at this photo I took just minutes after opening the event:

A photo posted by Fat Gay Vegan (@fatgayvegan) on


Yes, within minutes of the event commencing it was completely full with an instant queue of nearly 100 people for Temple of Seitan alone. The market was packed solid with close to 1,000 people instantly and stayed that rammed for several hours.

There were a few rumblings on social media that the event was poorly planned and/or vendors didn’t prepare enough food.

I won’t spend much time on that, apart to say that is bullshit. This artisan, independent food market was painstakingly organised to be a low cost local market for businesses to make as much money for as little outlay as possible. It opened on time, we kept lines organised and moving, and vendors prepped and cooked as much food as they physically could. And people got to enter for free.

What went ‘wrong’ is that thousands of people showed up for an event that realistically could handle 1-2 thousand.

And do you know why thousands of people showed up?

Because there should be multiple vegan markets going on all over London all the time but people aren’t doing it. London vegans have slipped into the trap of seeing value in being served, paying top money for it and not getting their hands dirty to make their community one that can grow while remaining inclusive.

London is tearing us apart.

The cost of living here is untenable for most and many of our citizens can barely afford the basics let alone the funds to start or maintain a business. The vendors at my market paid between £30 and £60 to trade, meaning they could maximise profits to help prop up their business in a brutal financial climate. I made about £2.00 an hour for my time, effort and physical labour across the months it took to organise including the day itself.

The market was free to enter because I didn’t want to exclude anybody based on financial means. No shade intended at the bigger exhibition shows because they have a space in our vegan world, but low cost and local markets should be all over the capital to encourage start ups, keep money in neighbourhoods, perform vital vegan outreach to non-vegans, help people create jobs and pay wages, as well as build social capital.

In a city drowning in a sea of Tesco Extras and coffee chain stores, we need a vegan revolution that works to share wealth. For instance, by supporting Club Mexicana with an inexpensive market stall we are helping an independent business employ close to 30 people while keeping profits in the local community.

When you sit there and call for bigger vegan events, more food, more options, multiple markets and just plain more, more, MORE served faster, you are perpetuating the very climate that is making London unliveable.

I want people to think outside the limited realm of being a consumer or only putting on an event that turns a huge profit. We are being driven from our private and public spaces by property magnates, meaning our community can’t even gather without it costing a small fortune. The rental fee of the venue where I held London Vegan Beer Fest in King’s Cross two years ago was £6,500 for one day which my partner and I had to fork out in advance. But of course nobody wants to pay the true cost of entry which instead of around £5 would be closer to £20 to ensure the venue is paid for, the costs are covered and I’d be able to draw a meagre payment for close to 6-months’ work.

Instead, I was left with a situation that found me breaking even the night before the event and walking away with £600 profit for 6 months’ work.

As my friend Faridah just wrote on Instagram, “this community should be one of active participation and cooperation, not mere passive consumerism”.

Get off your arse and do something.

Got no money? Start a potluck. I ran one almost every month for 4 years. It was low cost and served as a community hub for hundreds and hundreds of people over its run. Don’t have a lot of time? Too bad. You want a thriving and cared for community that works to include everyone? It takes your commitment. Not everyone has time or ability to run a potluck, but tens of thousands of us do. Do something!

I ran London Vegan Drinks nearly every month for 4 years, sometimes calling in volunteers to help when I couldn’t attend. It was free entry, low cost, social and inclusive. Do something in your neighbourhood. It doesn’t have to be 10,000 people strong to be successful. Your community needs you to take action. Do something!

You have some money but don’t think you have skill/time? Invest your money into your community. Support vegans who are doing crucial work to build community and protect animals by raising awareness. Give me a few pounds a month if you can/want. Donate money to or pay for classes at Made in Hackney. Shop for pantry staples at GreenBay or FareShares. Find out who is selling vegan food in your area and dine with them. Open a vegan business. Partially fund a vegan business. Buy gifts for independent vegan businesses. Ask them if they need any vital equipment that they can’t afford. Give a vegan food truck a pre-paid fuel voucher. Put your money where your ethics are, support us and don’t always expect the world in return. Do something!

What not to do?

Do not come to a free entry event filled with independent traders and say it should be bigger. Do not expect someone else to always run your events for you. Do not think your community is not your responsibility. Do not take the hostile corporate takeover of London gently. Do not become a vegan consumer with no activist or political concerns.

Reclaim vegan spaces. Make new vegan spaces. Champion independent business. Create social opportunities that don’t cost the Earth. Consider value outside of what you can own or consume. Train yourself to see the worth of not always making the most money in the room. Care for vulnerable vegans. Remember animals.

Be kind. Be aware. Be active.

Extra note: today just happens to be the 6th anniversary of this blog. How time flies when you are being sanctimonious, huh?! LOL. xx

Must-watch video

by

I have re-written the introduction to this blog post seven times and I keep deleting it.

Nothing I can say will add to the power and importance of this video and I’ve realised I shouldn’t try.

Please watch, think and share.

Work to redress all oppression and injustice and inequity. How ethical is our plant-based diet when people live with poverty and illness in order for us to get the ingredients?

Food for thought.

Gran Canaria

by

One of the best parts of running this blog is finding out about awesome vegan things that I would never otherwise know.

Take the following as an example.

I received an email this week from a friendly person in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria. Jose wanted to share news with me about a vegan group he is a part of and I was super impressed, so I asked him to write the following for you all.

Carabrecol was born out of the necessity of having more vegan places around the city of Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria. The only vegan options in bars and restaurants in the city tend to be potatoes with mojo (Canarian sauce), Padron peppers and salad. So a group of friends decided to start doing vegan nights in various venues. So far we have managed to do many vegan nights, and we have sold vegan tapas at gigs and cultural events.

Carabrecol is a totally voluntary DIY project, and the organizers receive no payment. Any profits are put into a fund to do more vegan nights and to bring bands to play in Gran Canaria and Tenerife.

People seem to like the project and are supporting it very well.

To date, we have been able to bring Active Minds, Brian Curran, Kronstadt, and Zounds. Doom are coming in January, and we have more bands lined up. We are hoping that we can do more vegan nights and bring loads more bands in the future.

You can checkout our Facebook page or our website here.

Wow. How fab does this group sound?

Not for profit, vegan tapas and bands! I adore activism like this.

Make sure you check out their pages if you are heading over for a visit. Get involved if they have an event on during your stay.

Xmas 15 bottom advert

I spoke these words

by

I was invited to talk (by Kim Stallwood) as part of a panel at VegfestUK London this weekend just passed.

The topic I was invited to talk about? What’s the most effective way to campaign for living as a vegan and make vegan values mainstream?

IMG_4993

This is a rough version of what I said. It has been transcribed from the notes I took into the talk, meaning it doesn’t include all of the ad-libbing I did such as saying hello every time I saw one of my friends in the audience or any of my hilarious (!) of-the-moment wisecracks.

Read more