Hi everyone,
I was just curious to get some stats on this. Based on other threads that have been circulating around here it seems that we have far fewer vegetarians than I would have expected!
I've formally been a 'vegetarian' for about two years. The year preceding my vegetarianism I only ate meat a couple of times a week. However, even my entire life prior to that I'd always been the kind of person who didn't eat meat (or didn't eat very much meat) at every meal. I've always much preferred my salads, breads, sides, and desserts, and only ever picked at meat.
When I finally decide to 'take the plunge' and become a vegetarian it was a "oh well, why not? I basically am already anyway." I never really had any problem with it. The only non fish/dairy that I really enjoyed was chicken. I still miss it sometimes but it really isn't a big deal at all. The first year I did it I was the absolute most relaxed type of vegetarian possible. I still ate seafood of all kinds, dairy, and eggs (though again, just based on preference I've never had a huge fondness for eggs anyway). I was basically what you could call a "Catholic" vegetarian.
Up till that point I continued to eat fish/shellfish/seafood about once or twice a week because I really like seafood and my prime motivation for vegetarianism in the first place had to do with personal taste (I just didn't like non-seafood) and health (and fish, unless tainted with mercury and other contaminants is good for you). To some extent it had to do with animal rights and environmentalism, but that was secondary to personal preference and health. Immediately preceding the time I eliminated fish from my diet I had a long conversation with a friend who, while continuing to eat other forms of meat, had stopped eating fish for moral/environmental reasons. At first I was very skeptical that it was that big a deal, but I did some research and it seems that the overfishing and fishing techniques used in the world's oceans really does (or at least may) pose a risk to the ecosystem and food chain.
To this day I'm not at all passionate about this point by any means (so don't bother arguing with me either way about it), nor am I even completely convinced. However I figured, "well, I only fish about once or twice a week anyway. It wouldn't be hard to stop. So if it does any good at all I'd might as well." My friend asserts that if he could 'see the credentials' of a farm raised fish he would eat it. I probably wouldn't, seems pointless really, like doing something only halfway. It would probably also get me craving fish again really bad, and I don't need that. As I always knew, I'm much more passionate about seafood, and I really do miss it. Eliminating other meat was neither very difficult nor a big sacrifice, but eliminating fish has proven surprisingly difficult for me.
I elected to retain shellfish on my menu (what kind of a cajun boy would I be if I didn't leave room for crawfish?) for the time being. The fish thing was a New Year's resolution, so I'm a bit over 5 months in. No 'slips' and I'm positive I'll be able to go till the end the year, I confess I'm a bit conflicted about what to do after the year is up. I originally intended to then wean myself off of shellfish (and I do only eat them maybe once or twice a month anyway, so that too wouldn't be a big lifestyle change). However, in my sushi craving, tuna steak lusting moments I've instead considered returning to fish (I have no plans or desire to ever really return to poultry and red meat etc.) and at least feeling good about doing my part for a year. I may go either way or I may keep ticking along as is. In any case as sure as I am that there's no non-seafood meat in my foreseeable/long-term future, I imagine that at some point in my life I will return to fish.
Eggs are basically a non-issue. They're not great for you (though they are a good source of protein), but they're not terrible either, so I have no motive one way or the other from a health perspective. As for taste I like them okay, but I don't love them by any means. Actually in terms of taste I prefer egg beaters and other egg substitutes. The main reason I've left them is because they're such a major ingredient in some many other types of food. If I were going to go through all that hassle I'd might as well become a vegan!
Veganism is never happening though because I love my dairy! Actually I don't care about milk at all. It's basically the same story as eggs. I can take it or leave it, I actually prefer substitutes like soy milk (mostly because it lasts longer, and I just don't want milk/milk like things very often), but it would be a major hassle to avoid the things that were made with milk. It's cheese that has my heart! I love, love, LOVE cheese! I'm quite the Dairy Queen. It's a major staple for me and I can't imagine (and wouldn't want to imagine) life without it. I similarly enjoy cottage cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream.
As a side note the type of vegetarian I would be considered would still be pretty much the lowest level a: pesci (still have the shellfish in there sometimes) - lacto (milk/dairy) - ovo(egg) vegetarian.
I've always noted much higher levels of vegetarianism in the GLBT community. About a year and a half or so ago I went to a restaurant with a large group of friends. There were about 12-18 of us (don't remember for sure), and we were all GLBT. The waiter came and introduced himself and suggested we start with an appetizer of hot wings. Without missing a beat one of the lesbians pipped up, "Wow, are you pitching that to the wrong table!" Fully half (or more) of us were vegetarians in some form or another and wouldn't have eaten chicken. Five of my good friends were actually exactly the same sort of vegetarian I am, pesci-lacto-ovo. It wasn't uncommon or rare at all in my circle.
Over the past year however most of these people have moved, resumed consuming meat, or I've lost touch with them. As a result I now only have a small hand full of vegetarian friends that I see on a regular/semi-regular basis. It's probably worth noting that the stereotype that lesbians are more likely to be vegetarians is largely true. Most of these people were lesbian friends of mine that I've lost touched with or who have moved away. Now my circle of friends is predominately gay male and indeed, as I said there's only a small hand full of vegetarians. I suppose that's why there aren't as many here at GayAuthors (we're mostly gay males), nevertheless I'm still surprised at the seemingly low numbers. I would have assumed that the percentage of vegetarians in just the gay male population would have been 2-3 times higher than that in the general population.
Anyway, my answers were:
Yes, I'm a vegetarian
Yes, I think there are more vegetarians in the GLBT community
and I knowingly come into contact with vegetarians a few times a week
As I side note I only know one vegan and he only recently took it up.
So what are your experiences?
-Kevin
