When people are serious about going vegan, it can be a life-changing decision. A sense of spirituality permeates the soul and leaves one feeling truly good inside. Giving up animal products benefits the planet, the body, and animals. 

However, there is judgment among some within the vegan movement. Many newer vegans report feeling chastised about not being perceived as vegan enough by more established members of the community. As absurd a notion as this might seem, it does leave many people feeling ostracized and, eventually, disenfranchised. Some vegans even backslide into their old eating habits or develop a disdain for the movement based on the snobbery they’ve encountered. Newer vegans are so often forced to reckon with and even atone for their carnivorous pasts, despite doing something great by adopting this lifestyle.

A common question among vegans is, “What brought you to the movement?” From there, various stories emerge about yearning for the recognition of animals as individuals, to people choosing veganism for health reasons, all the way across the spectrum to those who are adamant about eradicating factory farms and animal agriculture. While no one answer is right or wrong, these discussions sometimes underscore the competitive and ugly side of a truly beautiful cause.

As reported by Vegetarians of Washington, Farm Sanctuary Co-founder and President Gene Baur said, “I wish people thought more about the fact that farm animals, like all animals, have feelings and complex emotional lives.” Bruce Freidrich once told NPR: “I like that every time I sit down to eat, I cast my lot for mercy, and against misery — for compassion, and against cruelty. Every meal becomes a prayer for a kinder and more just world.” Those words are the important ethos vegans should live by, for that’s what the movement is genuinely about: kindness, empathy, and hope for a better tomorrow. 

Are you vegan enough? Is the fact that you ate a hot dog on Memorial Day in 2014 a cardinal sin? Does your car’s leather steering wheel make you a hypocrite? Relax, you’re good. There’s no vegan police like the characters in “Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.” It’s not a club to be expelled from, and there’s no secret handshake. Just remember that veganism is a beautiful way to honor the planet, the animals who dwell on it, and oneself. Vegans born into the lifestyle should be as cherished for their fantastic commitment as the person who woke up last week, had an epiphany about animal suffering, and decided, “From this moment on, I choose love.”

Source: NPR, Vegetarians of Washington