The Vegetable Stereotype

I'm a vegetarian. That's just the way it is. A lot of people think it's because I'm a lesbian. I'm not quite sure how people have jumped to the conclusion that lesbianism and vegetarianism go hand in hand. Bob Marley was a vegetarian, but somehow I don't quite think he was a lesbian.

It's not that I didn't like meat from what I can remember, it's just that when I was old enough to understand what meat was, I suddenly started thinking about where it came from. The progression from being a meat eater was a slow one, and a frustrating one for my mum as I gradually learned that beef was a cow, pork was a pig, and lamb was a baby sheep! I was horrified! So one day, at the age of twelve, I told my mum I wouldn't eat meat anymore and that I promised to eat all of the vegetables on my plate if she didn't make me. She agreed then, but a week later she took me to the doctors to tell him that I wouldn't eat meat. Thanks mum! Thankfully Mr doctor was vegetarian too and gave her, and me lots of advice. Twelve years later, I'm still a vegetarian.

The knowledge that during my lifetime I save an average of 760 chickens, 20 pigs and 5 cows makes me feel a sense of relief. Relief for my gut, and my conscience. Add that to the health benefits as well as the ethical, spiritual, environmental and economical and I'd say my status of being a vegetarian is unlikely to change.

Humans don't necessarily need to eat meat anymore, not in my opinion. In shops everything that is vegetarian friendly is labelled. There's always a vegetarian option on the menu in restaurants and so on. Society has embraced vegetarianism like it's no big deal, if only it could be that simple for everything. Hmmmm.