I was wondering because I am running into people who say they are vegan, but have leather shoes or a leather purse. My understanding is that a true vegan doesn't have any ties to any animal products at all, no by products in the house, don't wear anything, they truly lead an all natural lifestyle. I am finding that people just like to use the term as if it were a badge of honor.
I am in no way knocking people who are vegans, I was just wondering if standards have been relaxed, because everyone feels like they need a cause to fight for, but don't really fight for it.
2007-09-23 03:10:17 · 15 answers · asked by violamom74 5 in Food & Drink ➔ Vegetarian & Vegan
Thanks for some of the answers...I agree about pleather and such, but most brand name bags and shoes are probably the real thing.
And despite one of the posters suggestion that meat eaters come here and entice vegans, I am a vegetarian myself.
2007-09-23 13:36:43 · update #1
I have shoes that look like leather but are of all man-made materials. I've seen lots of purses that look leather but are not as well.
One of the many problems with labels is that people package up guidelines with that and think they have to follow it to a T. But not everyone can. I mean, when I go to a public bathroom, I'm sure the soap they have has glycerine in it. I'm not going to pee in a public bathroom and simply not wash my hands because the soap has glycerine. It kind of grosses me out to be "washing" with animal fat. . .but I don't necessarily want a million other people's waste germs on my skin, either. You can't stay away from it 100%.
In the end, they are doing a lot more than the majority is doing and that's saying a lot. It's better to do something than nothing at all.
2007-09-23 06:34:08 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
Veganism isn't about perfection and nobody can be 100% animal free (there's animal byproducts in most tires, for example.) It's about doing the best you can to avoid animal products. Carrying a leather purse isn't vegan, but perhaps it's something they owned before the made the switch; some people would argue that it's wasteful to get rid of that stuff before it wears out and feel it's OK to phase it out by not buying any new leather items. I'm making the switch from vegetarian to vegan and, while I'm there diet-wise, I can't afford to purge all the leather, wool and silk. There are items which will go right away and a few that I'll just have to deal with until it becomes practical to replace them.
2007-09-23 21:21:10 · answer #2 · answered by mockingbird 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Did you ask the "vegans" about the leather and animal products? There are a lot of quality vegan products that look like leather or other animal products.
Also, while veganism is an attempt to live the most cruelty-free lifestyle as possible within your means, oftentimes when people become vegan, they continue to wear and use the animal products they already owned.
It is not vegan to buy a product with any leather in it, but some vegans consider it a double waste of life to throw out what they already own. Others are waiting to save the money to buy vegan replacements.
I know that when I became veg, I wore my Doc Martins for a couple years until one day I just couldn't mentally put the skin of a dead animal on me anymore. As I replaced my old items, I donated them to Goodwill.
But no, if a person goes to the store and buys a leather jacket, that person is not a vegan.
2007-09-23 15:02:26 · answer #3 · answered by Squirtle 6 · 4⤊ 0⤋
If they bought it before they went vegan, it is possible that they actually are. If they bought it afterwards, no way are they vegan.
Are you sure they weren't fake leather? You can't read the label on the inside if they were wearing them can you?
They should be trying the best they can to live animal-free. No one is a 100% animal free unless they live out in the woods or on a primitive commune. That is not the point of veganism. If there is something animal in my computer or my car(not including new leather), oh well. It's not going to contribute to the suffering of any animal. If a large percentage of the population eventually became vegan we could have more control over our options, but until then we don't and we do what we can to live as an example and function as a part of society. If we live in trees like monkeys in the middle of nowhere, we don't really help the future of our movement.
2007-09-23 15:26:50 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
As other posters have pointed out, they could be wearing pleather and not leather. I have a few items that are pleather and look very realistic. Some people have leather items from before they went vegetarian (whether they bought it or got it as a gift) and will use it until it wears out.
It's not an "all natural" lifestyle, but as much as possible an "animal cruelty-free lifestyle," with the understanding that it's impossible to be 100 percent perfect, short of living in a cave.
2007-09-23 15:00:02 · answer #5 · answered by VeggieTart -- Let's Go Caps! 7 · 4⤊ 0⤋
Yes Virginia there are people in the world who lie.
It could be they are in transition from being an omnivore or vegetarian. I am a vegetarian not a vegan but the only animal products I still consume are milk, margarine, and cheese without rennet. I don't want to use any other animal products from now on. I started my quest as a vegetarian in May of this year so I still have clothing and personal products that are leather and suede or ingredients that contain animal products. I have to use those up before I can replace them. The clothes, jacket, purse and shoes I'll get rid of, though. I have plenty of other stuff that it won't hurt for me to.
It could be those items you saw are faux leather or suede. I saw a handbag the other day I fell in love with that is faux suede with fake snake skin look alike.
2007-09-23 13:43:36 · answer #6 · answered by Granny in KS 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I'm a HARDCORE vegan, but still own leather shoes and some cleaning products that were tested on animals from my pre-vegan days.
Most vegans have and use these things because they don't have the financial means to just throw them out; they just use them up and buy vegan alternatives after that.
2007-09-24 02:44:06 · answer #7 · answered by Elizabeth J 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I have eaten a vegan diet in the past. Even raw vegan for 7 months.
I truly believe that if a person wants to eat a healthy vegan diet, they do not have to be anal about it in the other parts of their life, unless they truly believe in the "pure vegan" lifestyle.
A "badge" as you call it is nothing a real vegan cares about. They are doing it for the healthily lifestyle.
2007-09-26 17:23:47 · answer #8 · answered by MaryBerry 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The definition of a vegan is:
Vegans do not use or consume animal products of any kind. The most popular reasons for becoming a vegan are concerns for animal rights, the environment, or human health, and spiritual or religious concerns. Of particular concern are the practices involved in factory farming and animal testing, and the intensive use of land and other resources required for animal farming.
It seems a true vegan would be totally the above, maybe these people you see just don't understand the 'true vegan' concept and need to learn.
2007-09-23 10:16:38 · answer #9 · answered by wineduchess 6 · 2⤊ 3⤋
Some dont entirely get it.
But keep in mind, there is a thing called pleather. Its more than likely they arent wearing real leather. I can't tell you how many idiots get busted when they get their hopes up pointing out a vegans "leather" belt, only to get beaten down with "Its pleather."
2007-09-23 16:05:07 · answer #10 · answered by BulbaKatieSaur 4 · 3⤊ 1⤋