23 years ago, I did the unthinkable: I became a vegan. I was a vegetarian for 10 years, and throughout those 10 years, I considered veganism to be extreme – avoiding not only animal flesh, but also eggs, dairy products, and honey. Surely consuming eggs and cheese couldn't harm anyone, I told myself.
My opinion changed after visiting a livestock sanctuary, where I met cows rescued from dairy farms, so overworked that they had difficulty walking, and hens rescued from the egg industry, where they had spent most of their lives crammed with four other birds in a barren cage the size of a file cabinet drawer.
I became vegan that day, but I quickly learned that I was in the minority. It's difficult to say how much of the US population is vegan, but estimates range from 1% to 5%. However, on average, only a quarter of people identify themselves as men. And even among the world's vegans, the number of men remains small.
Many men don't embrace a vegan lifestyle, in part because they feel it's not manly enough. Meat is inseparable from protein, and men have been taught that eating animal protein will make them stronger. Similarly, the idea that plant foods are delicate and feminine is ingrained in many Western cultures, and too many men are led to believe that only meat can keep them healthy.
However, study after study shows that a vegan diet is not only the healthiest for humans, it may also be the healthiest for the planet. Eating meat and dairy has been linked to a variety of health problems, including heart disease and certain cancers, and the livestock industry also produces large amounts of greenhouse gases, making it one of the main causes of the climate crisis.
So is it possible to overcome the perception that veganism is unmanly? I believe it is. The solution lies in reframing the very concept of masculinity, which, let's be honest, is just a societal construct.
We can separate masculinity from food, or, even better, show that veganism meets all the requirements of someone who identifies as a man. Freed from the burdens that society expects from men in general, and masculinity in particular, we can gain a broader, more authentic understanding of ourselves.
The stereotypical images we expect of men to be strong, brave, and protective can be seen from a vegan perspective.
Male eating attitudes tend to focus on consuming meat to gain physical strength, strengthen sexual identity, or even dominate other species. But the most powerful land animals (think elephants, cows, buffalo, and rhinos) build muscle by eating plants. The ancient Romans may have observed this as well. This is because gladiators, considered one of the toughest athletes, adhered to a diet based on plant foods such as legumes, pulses, and grains, the gladiatorium saginum.
As another virtue that men take to heart, courage fits right in with rethinking masculinity and eating habits. It takes courage to stand up not only to the slaughter of animals, but also to peer pressure to eat meat. A young man told researchers studying men's perceptions of meat alternatives that he was concerned after seeing pictures on social media of him eating at vegan restaurants. . He says, “I don't want my friends to laugh at me for eating a plant-based burger.''
Many men pride themselves on being guardians, especially of family and home. Because veganism means abstaining from the exploitation and consumption of animals, vegans participate in the protection of countless vulnerable species and the environment, especially if they extend that ethic to more than just food.
I think that men who make fun of veganism, such as the guy who made fun of the flyer I handed out about veganism on a college campus, feel threatened and maybe even a little embarrassed. Why else would you scoff at a delicious and nutritious diet that is far better for everyone? While the benefits of a vegan diet are becoming more apparent, so are the harms of eating animals.
But some men still feel the need to take a stance, as if expressing even an interest in veganism would undermine their masculinity. I found this at a gym I used to go to. It's a place where stereotypes of male strength are often on display. I was wearing a T-shirt that said “VEGAN” in bold letters on the front. Other men often acknowledged the message with a mixture of curiosity and disdain.
“Where do you get your protein?” one person asked me.
“It’s from plants,” I said, and he scoffed. “You need meat to build muscle and become strong.”
“Try that to the gorilla,” I said.
Mark Hawthorne is on the board of directors of the nonprofit rabbit rescue organization Save the Buns and author of The Vegan Ethic: Embracing a Compassionate Life for All.
