Vegan Soapbox » flexitarian

Veganism And Gender

Eccentric Vegan — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 16:51:08 +0000

There is a common assumption that women are more likely to be vegetarian or vegan, but is that really true?

Let’s take a look at the data…

A 2010 random Gallup poll of 1029 adults found that American men are more tolerant of animal abuse and exploitation than women, in general. Take a look:

“The sharpest differences between men and women on these issues are not found on abortion or other reproductive matters, but on three issues that involve the ethical treatment of animals. Majorities of men, but less than half of women, consider the use of animal fur for clothing, and medical testing on animals to be morally acceptable. Also, there is a 24-point gap between men and women in their belief that cloning animals is acceptable.”

(emphasis added, source: http://www.gallup.com/poll/137357/four-moral-issues-sharply-divide-americans.aspx )

If that’s the case then it seems that women might be more likely to be veg*n than men. But take a look at this study done by Harris Interactive of 1010 American adults:

“Seventeen percent of Americans stated they ‘don’t eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry at many of my meals (but less than half the time),’ and 16 percent don’t eat these foods at more than half of their meals (but not all the time). Thus, one-third (33 percent) of the country is eating vegetarian meals a significant amount of the time. That’s in addition to vegetarians!
[...]
Approximately 5 percent of the country say that they never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry, which makes them vegetarian. Approximately half of these vegetarians are also vegan; that is, they also don’t eat dairy or eggs. Note that we had respondents select ‘I never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry’ or ‘I never eat meat, fish, seafood, poultry, dairy, or eggs.’ Because we use the word ‘never’ and give the definition rather than having respondents self-define, our numbers may be lower than other polls. We also did not ask about honey, which would most likely give a lower figure for the number of vegans.
[...]
There is a misconception that more women than men are vegetarian, but it appears that the split may be pretty even. A larger difference shows up when looking at who is eating vegetarian meals one day per week or at many meals.”

(emphasis added, study link is here: http://www.vrg.org/journal/vj2011issue4/vj2011issue4poll.php )

So, it’s about even. There are likely equal numbers of male vegans as there are female vegans with no significant gender difference. And that seems to be true from my personal experience. I know lots of vegetarians and vegans and the gender split is about equal.

Vegans… read on…

However, from the standpoint of veg activism we might want to focus more on one gender than the other. The data from the Harris study suggests that nonvegetarian women eat more vegetarian meals than nonvegetarian men OR that nonvegetarian women think they eat more vegetarian meals than nonvegetarian men, and so these women may be a good audience for a vegan message.

Does that mean vegan adocates ought to spend more time encouraging women to go veg because they represent the “lower-hanging fruit” and will increase our total numbers of veg*ns more quickly? Or does that mean advocates should work harder at convincing men to choose plant-based diets because they face the most obstacles and need our support more?

There’s a group called the Humane Research Council that collects data about animal issues and makes suggestions for activists so that we can be most effective. Their website is here: http://www.humaneresearch.org/ A study done by the Council in 2007 (3200 adults) to determine the most effective strategies to reduce farmed animal suffering and death found that “Females are the majority of all key meat reduction segments“. That study is online at http://www.humanespot.org/system/files/HRC_Veg_Study_2007.pdf (You will need a HRC account in order to access the data yourself).

But that’s not the end of the story. HRC actually suggests tailoring the veg message depending on the audience. They do not suggest reaching out only to women, rather they suggest that some reasons for veg*nism (animal welfare, health, or the environment) are more compelling to certain segments of the population than other reasons. So we’re really back to square one: It’s best to take an individualized approach to animal advocacy depending on the specific situation.

Part-time Veganism

Eccentric Vegan — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:31:17 +0000

Time tackles flexitarianism:

Although the American Dietetic Association (ADA) doesn’t track the number of part-timers [vegetarians], the group says roughly 2.5% of Americans are strictly vegetarian, a diet that poses no health risks as long as practitioners get enough protein from beans and other nonmeat sources. “A partial-vegetarian plan is a little more user-friendly,” says Dawn Jackson Blatner, a flexitarian and ADA spokesperson.

The goal for many activists is simply to get more people to eat less meat. “Absolute purists should be living in a cave,” says Ingrid Newkirk, president of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). “Anybody who witnesses the suffering of animals and has a glimmer of hope of reducing that suffering can’t take the position that it’s all or nothing. We have to be pragmatic. Screw the principle.”

Read the whole Time article here >>

What do you think of Newkirk’s quote? Is she right that promotion of veganism without an acceptance of part-time veganism (aka flexitarianism) isn’t pragmatic?

Compass Group Offers More Meatless Foods

Eccentric Vegan — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:20:00 +0000

The HSUS announced that “World’s largest food service company offers more meat-free choices.” A modest change, but a greatly needed one. It’s about time!

The announcement boasts:

Compass-operated dining operations now showcase meatless foods like veggie burgers, burritos, pastas, and stir fries. Many choices feature vegetarian meat alternatives. [...]

According to Deanne Brandstetter, VP Nutrition and Wellness, Compass Group, “Eating flexitarian can have a positive impact on your health.”

“Vegetable sources of protein, especially legumes and grains, are packed with vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and are good sources of more healthful unsaturated fats.” she said. “They also have no cholesterol, are generally low in saturated fat and often are lower in calories than animal proteins.”

Labels To Describe People & Their Eating Habits

Eccentric Vegan — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:10:05 +0000

We humans label everything.

We label some things tall and other things short. We call some things dark and other things light. There are things we call easy and things we call difficult. The list goes on and on…

Labels help us understand ideas and they help us communicate those ideas to each other. With that in mind, here are some labels that apply to eating habits:

Locavore: Someone who eats only or mostly locally grown foods. Can be done in combination with any other labels below.
Slow foodist: Someone who eats only or mostly locally grown foods, prepares them in “traditional” ways, and emphasizes using the food to connect with community. Can be in combo with other labels, such as flexitarian or vegan.
Organic: Someone who eats only or mostly foods that haven’t been treated with pesticides, hormones or other man-made chemicals. Can be in combo with other labels, such as vegan or raw foodist.
Sustainable eater: Someone who eats in a manner that is environmentally and socially directed. Usually this is a combination of locavorism, slow food, organic, and flexitarian, vegetarian, or vegan.
Meat-reducer: Someone who eats meat on a regular basis but is trying to eat less of it.
Flexitarian: Someone who eats vegetarian or vegan meals on a semi-regular basis. This person doesn’t eat animals at every single meal. For example, they don’t eat meat on Mondays or they eat vegan until 6pm.
Part-time vegetarian: The same as a flexitarian, but leans a bit more towards vegetarianism.
Pescatarian: This person does not eat land animals or birds, but eats fishes and/or other seafood. Often a stepping stone to vegetarianism, this person may or may not also consume eggs and dairy.
Lacto-ovo vegetarian: The most common type of vegetarian. This person does not eat animal flesh, but eats animal products, such as eggs, dairy, and sometimes things like gelatin.
Lacto-vegetarian: The same as a lacto-ovo vegetarian, but doesn’t eat eggs.
Ovo-vegetarian: The same as a lacto-ovo vegetarian, but doesn’t consume dairy.
Vegetarian: Either a “dietary vegan” who eats no animal products, but may use animals for non-food purposes, or a lacto-ovo vegetarian.
Strict vegetarian: Someone who eats only plants. Sometimes called a vegan.
Vegan: Person who seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. Vegans do not eat animals or animal products like dairy, eggs, or honey.
Beegan: A vegan who eats honey or uses beeswax.
Raw foodist: Eats only unprocessed, uncooked foods. Foods can be dehydrated or “processed” in ways that do not involve heating above 118 degrees Farenheight. These people are usually raw vegan, but a rare few people who call themselves raw foodists eat raw meat or cheese.
Living foodist: The same as a raw foodist but they take it just a tiny step further by sprouting seeds before eating them. Their food must not be dormant. They do not eat animals.
Fruitarian: Eats only fruit, seeds, nuts and fruit-like vegetables (tomatoes, cucumbers, etc.) that can be removed from the plant without harming the plant.

Here’s the label I proudly wear:

That said, I also eat organic when I can, raw when I want, local when I can, slow when I want, and of course it’s always sustainable because veganism is one of the least environmentally and socially damaging ways of eating.

A Basic Vegan Glossary – 20 Terms

Eccentric Vegan — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 18:56:41 +0000

Vegan - person who seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. This is basically the definition provided by those who coined the word “vegan”, the Vegan Society. Veganism is not just a dietary choice, it is a lifestyle, because vegans exclude all animal uses (as much as they possibly can). Many vegans do not believe animals should be property and for them, veganism represents a pro-animal philosophy. Veganism is the praxis of philosophies that regard animals’ interests as ethically relevant. The word “vegan” has been misused by some people who choose a plant-based diet for purely heath or other reasons.* Though veganism has health, environmental, and social benefits, veganism is about excluding animal products and would not permit healthy or environmentally-friendly animal uses.
Vegetarian, Ethical Vegetarian - a vegetarian is simply someone who eats a plant-based diet. However, an ethical vegetarian is a person who excludes the killing of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose. Ethical vegetarians do not believe animals should suffer and oppose the killing of animals, not the use of animals. They may have additional reasons for their vegetarianism, but if they have no concern for animals, ethical vegetarian is not the best word to describe their lifestyle.*
Veg*n – the inclusive term referring to both vegans and vegetarians. For example, it may be used to describe a group of combined people or it may be used to describe someone transitioning from vegetarianism to veganism or someone who is 80% vegan.
Pescatarian, Beegan, Flexitarian - these are some of the many terms given to people who do not fully subscribe to the vegan or vegetarian philosophy and who practice some modification thereof. Pescatarians eat fish, but not land animals or flying animals. Beegans eat honey but no other animal products. Flexitarians eat as vegans when it is convenient or socially acceptable. None of these lifestyles are vegan lifestyles and they are not rightly associated with veganism. All of these terms are mostly diet-descriptive terms and may not reflect a total philosophy.
Speciesism - “is analogous to racism and sexism, represents: a] The prevalent ideology and bias that prevents equal consideration for nonhuman interests — despite our shared sentience. b] Exclusion from membership within moral community based upon the morally irrelevant criterion of species. c] Discriminatory practices and behaviors that stem from the preceding points.” writes Nathan at Vegan Abolitionist.
Animal rights – the notion that animals deserve to pursue their own interests. The concept that animals’ interests matter and that humans do not have the right to impose their will upon animals. Animal rights is about incorporating animals into our ethical philosophy and respecting their desires to live, to be free, and to pursue their natural desires.
Animal liberation - the movement of humans to respect the interests of animals. It tends to include all forms of animal activism: liberation from suffering or “inhumane” treatment to actual, physical liberation from property status.
Abolition - ending all animal use and exploitation. The abolitionist mantra is animals are not property. This is the goal of many vegans, to abolish the property status of animals. “a] Termination of all breeding and domestication, while care is provided for every nonhuman already bred or captured (that cannot be reintroduced or returned) — until age related deaths occur. b] Cessation of all direct relations between humans and nonhumans. c] The non-interventionist, relatively peaceful future implied by the preceding points.” wrote Nathan at Vegan Abolitionist.
Welfarism - The movement to reduce or abolish animal suffering, but not use and exploitation. That is, welfarists are concerned with how humans treat animals. Welfarism is often at odds with abolition, though not always.
Incrementalism - slow change. In the abolition movement, examples of incrementalism are abolishing foie gras, veal, seal hunting, dogfighting, and other specific animal uses. In the welfarist movement, examples of incrementalism are abolishing veal crates, battery cages, and other specific animal treatments.
Revolution - big change. The building blocks of revolution is seed planting. People who want to see a revolutionary change in our use and treatment of animals will plant seeds of change in other people and spread the revolutionary philosophy. For vegans, this means spreading the philosophy of veganism. This means inspiring others to become vegan so that one day there will be enough vegans to create a real revolution.
Humane - a word used by the welfarist movement in order to reduce animal suffering. The word has since been co-opted by anti-animal organizations to describe less cruel methods of slaughter, caging, hunting, etc. and thus the word “humane” has nearly no meaning any longer and is more of a marketing term than anything else.
Happy meat - describes the meat produced by so-called humane meat producers. The term is deliberately an oxymoron, for meat cannot be happy, it is dead. The term “happy meat” reflects the less obvious oxymoron that is “humane meat.”
Cruelty-free – Originally used to reflect an intention to avoid animal use, the term has merit in describing some products not tested on animals, but the term should be read with caution because it’s been co-opted by animal-exploitative industries. For example, in the US, the term “cruelty-free” has no legal definition and can be applied to any product without penalty. Read more here.
Utilitarianism - an ethical philosophy aimed at maximizing pleasure and minimizing pain. This is the type animal liberation envisioned by Peter Singer. It is welfarism, in that it allows animal use, but it is not the usual welfarism, in that it regards human and animal interests equally. Utilitarianism, by definition, is not a rights-based philosophy for either humans or animals, and thus should not be described as “animal rights.”
Open rescue – peaceful animal liberation. These are nonviolent acts of civil disobedience. An act of open rescue is to treat animals as if they deserve to pursue their own interests and then to accept the legal consequences of that behavior. For example, some one who rescues dogs from a puppymill without the permission of the legal owner or the legal authorities. An open rescue often takes place in daylight, without masks, someone films the rescue, and the rescue is often broadcast on the web or elsewhere. The person responsible for the rescue freely admits what they have done and will accept the legal consequences because they believe it was the right thing to do and the law is wrong, not the rescuer. You can read more about open rescue at openrescue.org.
Direct action – the encompassing term for almost all forms of activism, including everything from strikes, boycotts, sit-ins, and street theater, to violent warfare. Direct action is all activism for social change that doesn’t rely on voting or representatives. Direct action is all violent and nonviolent civil disobedience. Friends of Animals says, “Veganism is direct action” and they are right. Animal Liberation Front often performs direct action of other sorts.
Animal rights activist – someone who acts on behalf of the interests of animals, usually from an abolitionist perspective, though the media is often confused about the differences between abolition and welfarism and may call acts of animal welfare “animal rights.”
Animal advocate – the inclusive term referring to all people who act on behalf of animals, from those people who advocate for better treatment of animals (animal welfare) to those people who advocate cessation of animal use and property status (abolition/ animal rights).
Companion animal – the preferred term for “pet” when the person responsible for the animal’s care is someone dedicated to animal liberation. This term reflects the intended meaning that animals treated as pets are a part of the family and are not the property of humans. Thus, one may not allow their companion animal to engage in activities like dogfighting, nor may they kill their companion animal for food.

*Some people may use the terms “vegan” or “vegetarian” to describe a lifestyle that is not related to animal use, but that still happens to exclude the use of animals for food. This is veganism as a diet, only, not as a lifestyle. I prefer to call this lifestyle choice plant-based or veganesque rather than vegan, (but they’d, obviously, disagree).

Notice: this post have been edited multiple times.