The veganism, constantly increasing all over the world, in almost all cases it does not only imply adopting a diet without animal products and derivatives, but rather a lifestyle that goes hand in hand with antispeciesism, with respect for animals in particular and the environment in general and, last but not least, with a deep awareness regarding the ethical and healthy aspects of food. Whatever the reasons behind this global movement, veganism has generated constructive debates about nutrition and the threats of climate change. Despite everything, this category is also notoriously victim of derision, hatred and prejudices and, in the worst cases, of serious forms of discrimination, like other social minorities. Through the analysis of studies and surveys of recent years, we then go to shed light on the various forms of vegefobia, that is, the aversion for vegetarian and vegan people.

What is vegephobia, the phobia of the vegan

This term, also said vegafobia, was coined in France in 2001 during the Veggie Pride, and indicates all kinds of ridicule, discrimination, exclusion and violence against vegans. The word "phobia" contained in it demonstrates the desire to examine this tendency by placing it at the same level as more known and widespread forms of social discrimination against other minorities, such as sexism, homophobia, misogyny and racism. Neologism, which therefore also has a political and legislative connotation, is still highly debated, but it is spreading more and more, as is the desire to counteract such acts.

What vegefobia consists of and why vegans are so hated

One of the first Education who stressed this problem and tried to identify its causes and implications was conducted in 2015 in the United States by Cara C MacInnis and Gordon Hodson and published in the Group Processes & Intergroup Relations magazine. The document highlighted, in fact, not only the seriousness of the discriminations suffered by vegans in western civilization, but also that the dynamics and prejudices related to it are comparable or even sometimes worse than those against ethnic or racial minorities. The real problem highlighted by the researchers, however, is not so much the phenomenon of "vegefobia" in itself, but rather the lightness with which this theme is treated and addressed.
The study states, in fact, that unlike other forms of partiality negativity towards vegans is not widely considered a social problem, but is, indeed, on the agenda and widely accepted. Furthermore, according to the research, the most despised subgroup is that of vegan men, since their "prefer tofu to steaks" is seen as a subversion of traditional values.
According to Gordon Hodson, and according to the subsequent opinion of many experts, among the reasons for this anger towards vegans there would be an unsolved inner conflict, a sense of guilt and a latent envy, but also the threat of subversion and a radical change of life for which one does not feel ready.

Two years after this study, in 2007, it was the turn of a survey which took place in England and which examined the vegephobia from a media point of view; the title of the survey was indeed Disproportionate speeches on veganism in British national newspapers. In this case, the researchers examined 397 articles containing the terms "vegan", "vegan" and "veganism" and found that 74.3% was classified as "negative", 20.2% as "neutral" "And only 5.5% as" positive ". There In fact, many of the people examined have tended to offend or ridicule vegans and to label their lifestyle choice as "a fashion" or as something "impossible to sustain". In short, discrimination has now taken different forms and affects not only "the real" but also "the virtual", just think of the heated discussions on social networks to the offensive memes on veganism.

Discrimination against vegans in the workplace

One of the most serious consequences of vegefobia is discrimination in the workplace. A English research conducted in May 2019 The Crossland Employment Solicitors law firm involved over 1000 vegans, questioned about their work experiences. 45% of them, for which a decidedly large number, said they felt discriminated against and derided while 31% said they felt molested at work or treated unfairly. Definitely alarming numbers. The same study also questioned 1000 employers, in order to understand what the common opinion was with respect to employees who declared themselves vegans and many prejudices emerged. About a quarter of respondents see veganism as an unhealthy fashion and food choice, while a third consider being vegan too expensive or too difficult. The law firm administrator therefore concluded that the phenomenon of vegan discrimination in the workplace is worrying and that employers should not only take the beliefs of their employees seriously, but also take action against anyone who displays forms of contempt or derision against them.

These are just some of the studies and surveys carried out in recent years, as well as the debates on this topic. All that remains is to hope that the theme of veganism, both as a philosophical and food choice, will be addressed once and for all with greater respect, seriousness and common sense.; and that ignorance, doubts and fears give way to greater awareness and openness to dialogue and constructive confrontation.

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