Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

vos wrote

I'm vegan, though I prefer to use anti-speciesist to describe my stance. If being vegan means not using anything that contains something that was sourced from the bodies or bodily excretions of nonhuman animals, or anything of which the production involves or at some point involved animal testing, then I'm not vegan and neither do I want to be.

For me, being vegan is a matter of respect and (dis)comfort. It is a way for me to practice anti-speciesism. But that's all it is, really. It might inspire people to think about speciesism, yes, and acting in a way that aligns with my values makes me feel good. But it doesn't have any other effects whatsoever. So if that's why someone wouldn't get healthcare, I'd say it'd be for nothing. If it's something that you feel affirms your convictions - good for you. But personally, I'd rather live another day to resist speciesism, or any other part of this civilized hellscape for that matter. That brings me joy. Needless to say, it also most certainly gives you more opportunities to bring about effects far more significant than those of personally boycotting the hospital.

I'm not gonna let some abstract concept prescribe me a fixed set of rules to follow. I use 'vegan' as a label because it loosely translates my ideas into the limited realm of language, where I can use it for convenience. I don't want it the other way around, to have a concept use me.

Anyway, that's my two cents.

5

lettuceLeafer OP wrote

TLDR

Yeah I'm vegan, sure I eat meat and cheese sometimes but I'm very uncomfortable about it. If being vegan includes not using or consuming animal products I'm not vegan. But some I redefined veganism to be irrelevant to consuming animal products I am vegan.

0

vos wrote

I don't eat meat nor do I eat cheese. It'd be weird to call myself vegan if I did. You appear to have misunderstood me though:

If being vegan means not using anything that contains something that was sourced from the bodies or bodily excretions of nonhuman animals, or anything of which the production involves or at some point involved animal testing, then I'm not vegan and neither do I want to be.

It's impossible and living up to such a purist notion of veganism is ridiculous to me. It won't do anyone any good. If that means I'm not vegan according to you, so be it.

4

zephyr wrote

you sometimes eat meat and cheese and consider yourself vegan but you think going to a hospital is not vegan? in that case i think you could consider it vegan to go if you only occasionally ate meat and cheese while there but refrained from eating any of the medical staff.

2