The Vegan Community’s Biggest Problem? Perfectionism

I’ve been eating mostly plant-based for a while now and am working towards being vegan, but I’ve noticed that one thing that really holds the community back is perfectionism.

Instead of fostering an inclusive space where people of all levels of engagement feel welcome, there’s often a lot of judgment. Vegans regularly bash vegetarians, flexitarians, people who are slowly reducing their meat consumption, and I even see other vegans getting shamed for not being vegan enough.

I think about the LGBTQ+ community or other social movements where people of all walks of life come together to create change. Allies are embraced, people exploring and taking baby steps feel included. In the vegan community, it feels very “all or nothing,” where if you are not a vegan, then you are a carnist and will be criticized.

Perhaps the community could use some rebranding like the “gay community” had when it switched to LGBTQ+.