Privilege and Veganism

August 3, 2008

“The majority of the vegan/vegetarian community seems to be white and privileged.”

Sigh. This shit is getting old.

Listen folks, it’s called white privilege for a reason. When white people do shit, others notice it more than when people of color do the same shit. Rich, white vegans get book deals and TV coverage. Poor, black vegans don’t get the same treatment. That’s due to white privilege, not veganism.

Just because you see a bunch of whites doing something doesn’t mean people of color aren’t doing it too.

Let’s unpack the fucking napsack already, OK? Starting with this: I’m white so I’m privileged. That privilege seeps into all that I do, including my veganism. So, yeah, I’m a privileged white vegan.

But veganism itself is not a privilege. That is, living a life that “seeks to exclude the use of animals for food, clothing, or any other purpose” does not necessitate privilege. The vegan philsoophy is to cause as little harm as possible. It’s not about abstaining entirely from all harm. Living as a human in a community with other humans causes some harm to some animals. Veganism is not about being pure and clean. It’s about refraining from harming animals as much as you can, given your abilities.

So, if you’re not me, your veganism will probably look different than mine. If I can afford to shop at Whole Foods (aka “Whole Paycheck”) my veganism will differ from a vegan who can only afford to shop at WalMart. If I live in a community with year-round farmer’s markets, my veganism will differ from a vegan whose food must be imported. If I have Internet access and the ability to read, my veganism will differ from a vegan who doesn’t have those things. In fact, my experience may be entirely different.

Someone else may not even use the word “vegan” because to them it connotes privilege. But they may behave in similar manners to me. They may read ingredient lists. They may browse cookbooks. They may make similar consumption choices. They may live a life based on the ethics of causing the least harm possible to animals, including humans. They may share the basic, vegan principle that animals deserve inclusion into the moral community.

There is little privilege involved in the decision to live an ethical life. If one is capable of including humans into their moral considerations, they are capable of including animals as well.

Posted by Elaine Vigneault | Filed Under privilege, vegan, veganism, white privilege 

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Comments

1 Responses to “Privilege and Veganism”

  1. eChris on August 9th, 2008 11:01 pm

    This shit really is old. Besides, I’ve heard that same comment about other communities such as, oh say, the environmental movement. Fact is, that shit is just another example of erasing people of color from social movements.

    Its not even a matter of only White vegans being in the spotlight. There are people of color that have been at the forefront of the animal lib movement for at least as long as I’ve been involved. They may not be heading any of the big orgs making $90K a year. But, as you point out, those folk are less a microcosm of the animal lib movement and more a relic of White privilege.

    Does White privilege exist amongst vegans? Of course it does. Its exists among all sectors of the U.S…. including among feminists. But it doesn’t take much searching through the blogosphere to discover that gem of knowledge.

    Compassion needs to be embraced in all forms. To me, that includes looking at what I eat, what I wear, and how I engage in the world. That means that combating racism, sexism, ableism, sizism, ageism, heterosexism, classism and speciesism are all essential in living a life of compassion. we must eliminate all possibilities of oppression and exploitation.

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