Male and Vegan

[robert]

An online friend sent this to me. He wrote it for our website.

 

Male and Vegan

 

Traditionally there has been a pretty big association with eating meat and

masculinity; making a man! I reckon this can be seen in Homer's book

'The Odyssey', big meat based meals and plenty of animal sacrifice.

Don't know about you but I don't do much animal sacrificing these days,

either for Gods or for myself. But it still happens a lot (the meat

eating...), pop along to the local family barbeque and you'll probably

find a whole water buffalo slowly cooking away on the spit. It’s an occasion

for men to gather round with a beer and chat about 'male things'. What's

all that about? Where'd this meat centered culture come from? Why this

obsession with eating dead animals? It isn't particularly good for you,

the environment (stretch your mind a bit there) or for what you've

eaten, especially where factory farming is concerned.

 

In contemporary culture animals are treated as objects that can be

manipulated for our perceived 'needs'. The manipulators in chief are

(surprise, surprise) the industry profiteers, but there is nothing

particularly manly about supporting this industry. I personally reckon

(as I would being vegan) that making a stand against animal cruelty is

far more in tune with what we should be about, some people see a refusal

to take part in this morbid industry as weakness, that a person cannot

stand to see death or suffering. Personally, I'm against the notion of

unnecessary suffering and it's a show of strength to stand up and openly

demonstrate this, to move against the current that most people are happy

to float on. If you believe in compassion for fellow sentient beings

that cannot stand up against rampant human exploitation, then give up

cow’s milk, cheese, eggs and meat. Show that every day you can live a

life that is different, compassion in action. The vegan argument is here

to be won. If you want to live in a better world, practical steps

need to be taken.

 

Be a man, be vegan.

 

Kevster - UK

[JW]

So true!

 

The "barbeque culture" certainly does exist.

The other one I find puzzling is the "hunting culture"

In many rural (and some urban) areas, hunting is a way of life. The kids are given guns at very young ages and are taught to hunt, kill, and trophy animals.

 

I just don't get it!

My father hunted a bit many years ago, my brother went along a few times but I refused to go. I have never shot a gun in my life nor do I ever want to.

Eating prepackaged meat is one thing, but to go out and kill it????

Where is the sense of right and wrong?

 

( btw... not condoning eating prepackaged meat. just saying that most people don't think about where it came from)

[vegangirl]

That is awesome! I have always hated the stereotype of male vegans, that they are gay, are weak, etc. To me, true strength is when someone stands up for those who can't stand up for themselves, someone who goes against the cultural norms to live in alignment with their morals and ethics. It is a weak person who follows blindly and never questions their actions. It is a weak person who dominates and exploits others just because they can.

 

Vegan men rock!!!

[endcruelty]

ya never thought about that but its true. but i think things are changing dont you think? or maybe it just the people i hang around with. because of my friends who know i dont eat meat and all they dont bother me one bit to eat some meat they accept it as my lifestlye, while some are just assholes telling me to stop this "phase". arse i never liked that idiot anyways lol and me personally i try not to be driven by how everybody else is, we all have brains we're smart people we can make up our own mines. to live and think how things "should be" shows you dont have the balls to live by your own decisions.

[Kathryn]

On another fitness forum I participate on regularly, a new male member who does yoga seemed like he felt obligated to reassert his masculinity by saying he hunted and fished and killed all sorts of critters. What a man!

[compassionategirl]

Yup, I always say and it was my signature quote for a while that

 

"REAL men are kind to animals." I think i'll start using that again.

[robert]

I was one of the few men who protested the circus yesterday. I think I was looked down at as a "wuss" from most of the red-neck circus goers who attended yesterday.

 

I real man watches the circus and encourages animal abuse, or a real man speaks for those who can't be heard?

[compassionategirl]

I real man watches the circus and encourages animal abuse, or a real man speaks for those who can't be heard?

 

Exactly.

 

And I cant believe that in this day and age circuses are still something that need to be protested. Un freakin believable.

 

Speaking of circuses, I am taking my mom to Cirque de Soleil next time its in town, but I think I just missed it.

 

PLEASE SUPPORT CIRQUE DU SOLEIL and leave animals where they were meant to be - in the wild and not on a bicycle!

[willpeavy]

Good article. Real men are nice to animals

[endcruelty]

you know what though??? a circus can be fun, but it doesnt need the poor animals as a part of it. all the performers doing tricks and whatnot can be fun on its own, i dont see how forcing animals to perform has to be included into the acts to make the circus "complete".

[compassionategirl]

you know what though??? a circus can be fun, but it doesnt need the poor animals as a part of it. all the performers doing tricks and whatnot can be fun on its own, i dont see how forcing animals to perform has to be included into the acts to make the circus "complete".

 

yes exactly. That is why Cirque De Soleil rocks - I call them the "progressive circus for civilized people."

[robert]

Yeah, I'm all about all-human circuses. I've seen them and they are quite fun. They feature people who are passionate about performing and putting on an awesome show. No animals needed.

[finbarrio]

To me, true strength is when someone stands up for those who can't stand up for themselves, someone who goes against the cultural norms to live in alignment with their morals and ethics.

 

That about sums it up, IMO. A sign of true strength is living a principled life despite the inane stereotypes that one may apply to you.

 

I like "Be a man. Be vegan." but I might like "Be real. Be vegan." a bit better.

 

Of course, the "masculine" side of me still wants a bumper sticker of a mean-looking, hulking, GORILLA and the words "VEGAN" underneath. And maybe underneath that, in smaller type, "(any questions?)"

[finbarrio]

http://www.fotosearch.com/thumb/BDX/BDX236/bxp40915.jpg

V E G A N

(any questions?)

 

 

 

[SeaSiren]

http://www.fotosearch.com/thumb/BDX/BDX236/bxp40915.jpg

V E G A N

(any questions?)

 

 

 

 

Love it!

[robert]

You can also check out Gorilla's Avatar. It is a popular image on some vegan bodybuilding shirts in the UK. I might come up with a similar theme, but with a different style of image, and a different vegan animal for my own shirts.

 

Here is their image, it is pretty awesome!

 

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/phpBB2/images/avatars/134470770644019c5007145.jpg

[finbarrio]

Yeah, that's an awesome design.

[robert]

I'm working on some of my own, but I'm not a great artist. I like the logo we have on the back of our shirts. The man and woman holding up the V filled with foods and the Earth as a circle with the the message "Healthy Food Defines You" but I think we need more logos and designs. It just takes time, money, resources and creativity.

 

I'm working on it

 

This is a colorful version without the man and woman:

 

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/images/hfdy.gif

 

 

This is the image from the back of the t-shirts:

 

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/images/products/shirtblue2.jpg

 

We'll come up with new stuff soon and we'll get more funding and make some cool stuff available for everyone.

[robert]

What are some "manly" vegan slogans or image ideas?

 

Please let me know. There are far fewer vegans who are male than female, and I think we are often considered wimpy, soft, sensitive, weak, etc.

 

I like this article Kev wrote and I like the idea of creating more slogans or t-shirts or something that can be worn or displayed to show that vegan men aren't really that wussy. Take one look at Ryan Wilson and you will be convinced vegans are not weak!

 

General ideas are fine too, but in this case, I'm specifically looking at ways vegan men are portrayed and open to ideas to change that perception.

 

Thanks!

[endcruelty]

maybe not for a guy to wear on a shirt but it'll make guys think differently if a chick was wearing a shirt that says: "women love vegan erections" or "i love vegan erections"

 

**the 2nd one is not me saying i love vegan erections its for the shirt title lol

[vegangirl]

maybe not for a guy to wear on a shirt but it'll make guys think differently if a chick was wearing a shirt that says: "women love vegan erections" or "i love vegan erections"

 

**the 2nd one is not me saying i love vegan erections its for the shirt title lol[/quote

 

I like that. It could be a good way to get guys to rethink veganism if they believe that women find them inadequate if they aren't vegan. Nothing gets to a man like an attack on his sexual abilities!

[willpeavy]

Hey Rob I remember reading a survey done probably 5 or 10 years ago that said the male/female ratio of vegans was close to 50/50, but that m/f ratio of vegetarians overall was more like 2 or 3 women for every 1 man. I think a lot of it might be because a lot of straightedge hardcore music, which is usually really aggressive testosterrone filled music, promotes veganism and a lot of guys get into it that way. Bands like Gorilla Biscuits and Youth of Today had a big impact on me back in the day...

[willpeavy]

What are some "manly" vegan slogans or image ideas?

 

 

I'm not witty enough to come up with a good one liner slogan. But still I was thinking something to do with a knight's code. You know, the traditional image of a knight is a big strong warrior that goes around protecting the defenseless, which is kinda like a big vegan strongman protecting defenseless animals from the slaughterhouse

[robert]

Cool, good suggestion Will. As far as the stats, I don't know where I got them, I just remember reading there were more vegan women than men....or maybe not, I think I heard someone say it, so it is not even valid

 

I guess I just assumed there were more women who are vegans because that is what I have found within my group of friends.

 

So forget my stats, they are no good.

 

I am quite witty at times. I came up with over 150 of my own slogans and I always think of more. I'm still open to all kinds of ideas and suggestions.

[willpeavy]

I guess I just assumed there were more women who are vegans because that is what I have found within my group of friends.

 

That's because you are a ladies man!