Is the word 'vegan' a good one?

[maikeru]

Oh cobweb
Sitting in the Arctic Ocean
Though not literally
Or you would have wet clothes on
Although saying that you might

This is the sort of thing
We have been told to stop doing
Taking threads off topic
Rather than talking of cows mooing
Although that would be straying too

No longer am I thinking
Clothes on rhymes with ocean
But now I need another one
Maybe I could try ostracize
Although shun would have been better

----------------------------------------

Although just to keep on topic, a word is a word and it makes no difference to me. A shame that "vegetarian" was hijacked but "vegan" is as good as any other.

Michael.

[Fungus]

I like the word .. short but easy enough to transfer the meaning .. vegetarian is a bit of a mouthful

[cobweb]

thanks maikeru

[Sarah_]

Vegan works fine for me. It's simple, people know what I'm talking about, it prompts questions and it's as good as free advertising for the vegan community.
Yes. I'm one of THEM.

[vava]

surely it is not the word 'vegan' that makes us sound freaky but the concept - a rose is still a rose etc

[Khashoggi]

surely it is not the word 'vegan' that makes us sound freaky but the concept - a rose is still a rose etc

I agree with this.

I think the word's good. Simple.

Herbivore implies that we have all the features of a grazing animal rather than simply choosing to eat plant-based foods.

[cobweb]

no, it's the word because of the 'vogon' thing

*EDIT - not just the vogon thing actually (thanks, Hitchikers!) but i dislike the hard sound of the word vegan anyway.

[ellaminnowpea]

I don't mind the word, but I don't particularly like it either. It fits, it does its job.
Although, I just say "I don't eat animals" in response to everything. Like in response to offered foods w/ byproducts. I think that way, the flesh of an animal and its byproducts are referred to as the same thing. The byproducts are no less harmful or disguisting than the flesh.

[Aurore]

i kinda like the sound of it (not the french pronunciation though). but i never really use the word, nor do i use vegetarian. not that it doesn't do the job, but if we take aside the french vegs, i always have the feeling people don't really know what's behind those words, except they sound star trek-ish. although i always want to provide explanations if people are truly curious, it's not always the case. i suppose i don't want to be tagged as an inhabitant from Vulcan.

[Korn]

i always have the feeling people don't really know what's behind those words

Some people know, others don't... But how can this improve if we don't use these words?

[treehugga]

I like the word and always feel special when I use it. I'm vegan and proud!!

[Darky_]

I think some people don't like the word Vegan because of the amount of crap it gets and Vegans and Vegetarians are scared just respect the word properly. I am afraid the word is used for our movement and just because some ignorant people don't like it, doesn't mean you should find it makes you cringe to say it. People either love or hate Vegans and Veganism, but to the ones that hate it, it is tough. I think the word is just not used enough!! Use it and embrace it and respect it and just accept it. Say it more often and you might start to like it! Make it so more people can learn what it means instead of avoiding it. I like the word and I feel quite happy when I see it!

[cobweb]

i'm happy to be a vegan, i just don't like the word - two different things.

[ellaminnowpea]

I think some people don't like the word Vegan because of the amount of crap it gets and Vegans and Vegetarians are scared just respect the word properly.

Not true... !!!!!!!!

just because some ignorant people don't like it, doesn't mean you should find it makes you cringe to say it.

ignorant people? are you serious darky?!?

[Anouk]

i'm not quite sure about the word vegan. majority of people picture vegetarian as one that doesn't eat meat (even fish are problematic) ... but on the other hand, dictionary defines vegetarian as

person who eats only plants (~herbiovor).

[Darky_]

Some people are like that, ella...

Ignorant people = Omnis. Thats who I meant. Most have a large amount of ignorance about animal suffering and actually don't care! I have argued with many!!

[AlexKunzill]

Yeah the word herbivore does conjure up images of grazing like a deer and chewing fresh mushrooms in a woodland glade!

But it is fundamentally true, but, I guess though that the word Vegan implies a more 'Human' method of 'grazing', i.e., by processing food like Millet seeds into breakfast cereals or eating falafels made of chickpeas.

Even if it does cause a stir when mentioned.

[DarmokTheGreen]

I guess I do feel awkward sometimes about referring to myself as "a vegan" (specifically as a noun) -- although I know nobody's going to think I'm actually an alien from the planet Vega, but it might create the effect that I'm an entirely different class of being, a member of the genus "homo veganis" or whatever. I prefer it as an adjective ("I'm vegan" "I'm a young vegan guy" etc) although usually I would just rather say something like "I don't use animal products".

I don't think I'm really expressing myself properly but I hope you can understand what I'm trying to say here...

[cobweb]

^ yeah, i get you
i find myself saying "i'm a strict vegetarian, i try and avoid anything animal derived"
these days i feel most comfortable with that if i need to explain myself.

[Windfall]

Well, I think its a grand word, maybe iomnis label you as "extreme", BUT when people know whats it about its a short way of saying "I do not participate in or support cruelty". And hows that for a title, eh?

Plus, people might think youre from Las Vegas. Cool.

[DarmokTheGreen]

Well, I do have a wallet with "Viva!" on it.

[horselesspaul]

Proud to be a vegan here, great word. Fuq 'em if they don't understand.

[Kitteh]

I like it.

[squigaletta]

I don't really like or use the word vegan. obviously I identify with the 'doctrine' but I don't really identify with any of the stereotypes that go with veganism, so don't like to describe myself as a vegan. perhaps I should more, so that the perception of what is vegan can shift.
also I tend to think that a lot of people in restaurants won't know what vegan is. Whereas if I explicitly say I don't eat any animal products including eggs milk butter etc, then I think it's a little more likely I will get a meal i can eat

[Johnstuff]

I like the word vegan fine. It is a shame the lactos have nicked vegetarian though.
I usually say "I am Vegan" rather than "I am a Vegan" though - don't know if that actually makes sense.

I like the Rastafarian word 'Ital' (not sure of spelling) meaning pure. Ital implies organic and ethical aswell as vegan.