Its crucially important that we educate the public about vegan health and nutrition.

Indeed, one of the stumbling blocks we face as advocates is when were occassionaly confronted with someone who genuinely believes that its necessary to consume animal products. Our conventional wisdom maintaining that its wrong to inflict unnecessary suffering and death should, on its own, lead any rational mind to a realisation that this means veganism. The problem occurs when, for whatever reason, your interlocutor genuinely believes that animal products are required for good health. In those situations, its important that we demystify that idea so that the rational, wisdom-based argument for veganism can really take effect and make an impact. If people believe consuming animal products is necessary from a health perspective, they are unlikely to be affected by a rational argument focusing on a universal rejection of unnecessary suffering.

What we should never do, however, is make vegan nutrition the sole focus of our advocacy where humans and not animals become the direct beneficiaries of becoming vegan. In doing so we simply make veganism about us, and not a recognition of fundamental rights. We continue to value non-fundamental human interests over fundamental animal interests. Animals become indirect beneficiaries, they remain otherised, with humans remaining the centre of concern. This may make those humans feel better about themselves, but in not recognising veganism as something we owe animals directly irrespective of the benefits to us the underlying speciesism that results in normalised animal use in the first place is not challenged.

Vegan atheletes have a habit of perpetuating this notion. Usually coupled with some vague reinstatement of conventional welfarist ideology, they talk about how veganism has benefitted them the animals remaining a sideline issue. A recent example of this involves vegan boxer, David Haye. In a recent interview with The Sun,Haye talks about how he switched to a plant-based diet after being injured. He wanted to find the best [diet] to heal muscles and all roads kept leading back to a plant-based diet. Aside from portraying veganism as a mere dietary choice, he passes off the cessation of his own exploitation of animals as nothing but an added benefit of his diet. It simply made it easier to switch. Not only that, he perpetuates the welfarist notion that animals only care about not suffering by maintaining that the horrible way animals are treated helped him stick to his diet.

Haye maintains that he feels better than ever and looks and feels younger too. But that doesnt stop him portraying veganism as something thats only for the real Spartans amongst us: I have a full-time chef and a good nutritionist who makes sure I get all the minerals and nutrients required, which isnt easy in a plant-based diet. When we celebrate and promote Haye as some kind of vegan icon, were normalising his nonsensical and irresponsible positions. Were indirectly promoting the idea that veganism is difficult and that in order to be a healthy vegan, it requires a personal chef and nutritionalist. So not only does Haye neglect to portray veganism as something we owe to animals, he also makes it sound dangerous for anyone who isnt a professional athelete with all kinds of sponsorship.

He signs off his Sun interview by making a joke at the expense of veganism and subsequently, the animals. He says that he doesnt like to ram it down peoples throats and embraces a well known stab at vegans: How do you know if someone is a vegan because they never stop talking about being vegan! Thats right, Haye. When you recognise that we have no moral justification for exploiting animals and that the subjugation of sentient beings is not a matter of personal choice, you realise that veganism isnt about us. Its about respecting rights that we violate by treating animals as resources and assuming them to be things.

For Haye, veganism is nothing but a vessel for self promotion and adulation. For the sake of the animals relying on us to advocate clearly and unequivocally, we should pay no attention nor give any credence to the positions of these athletes who are, at the end of the day interested in nothing but their own careers. Hayes speciesism is clear, as is the normalisation of that speciesism through our promotion of him as a so-called voice for veganism.

Photo from The Sun

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False Heroism In Vegan Athletes David Haye - Ecorazzi