The Intersectionality of Veganism and the LGBTQ+ Community

If you've been in vegan spaces, you may have noticed that there is a large LGBTQ+ representation. This Pride Month, we wanted to expand on that topic and also celebrate the LGBTQ+ community for the large role that they play in the vegan movement! 

What does the data show?

Let's start off with a really interesting Reddit poll that was posted a couple of weeks ago. It all started when users in the /r/vegan community requested that the sub's icon be changed to a rainbow colored one. Several other users commented on those posts more or less saying that they're "aren't many gay vegans". Someone created a poll to see how many there actually were and here's the data.

Now, obviously Reddit leans left/liberal, so the numbers are going to be skewed a bit, but the data is still interesting because nearly 6,000 people is a pretty large sample size, especially for a vegan poll. Doing the math on this, it shows that roughly 45% of the vegans who answered identify as LGBTQ+.

Researchers have also studied this a little bit. Here are some broader statistics. Roughly 7 to 10% of the adults in the U.S. identify as LGBTQ+. A Gallup poll in 2022 reported 7.1%, and more recent estimates are higher, especially in younger adults.

Now for the vegan space specifically. One academic survey looked at American vegans, and it found that:

• 65% identify as heterosexual
• 13% identify as bisexual
• 7% identify as homosexual
• 15% identify as queer.

Per this survey, 35% of the U.S. vegan community is identifying as somewhere on the spectrum of LGBTQ+ vs. 7-10% of the overall US population. That's 4 - 5 times higher LGBTQ+ representation in vegan spaces vs. the general population. I personally think this is amazing!

Why are the numbers so much higher in the vegan space?

You're probably what is causing this. Until this is more studied, the best we can do is offer some educated speculation. 

Experiencing life outside of social norms

The LGBTQ+ community is a marginalized community, because it faces systemic inequalities, discrimination, and under-representation in broader hetero-normative societies. Basically it's seen as different from the status quo, which, in the US, is seemingly a Christian cis-hetero couple with a few kids. When you're already existing outside of social norms, you're more likely to live authentically and not perform for society. This might cause you to think more deeply about your true religious beliefs, your ethical stance on eating animals, etc. and do something different than what everyone else is doing if you feel like it.

You could also describe it as a counter-culture. The existence and activism push against the mainstream cultural and political status quo, which can help redefine a lot of social expectations. Atheism, for example, is also considered counter-culture in most of the US. There have been studies that show there's a greater percentage of atheists in the vegan community vs. the rest of the general population. This kind of matches up with the theory that when you're already operating outside of societal expectations, you're more likely to question other norms and live authentically to your personal beliefs.

Greater empathy for others

The most marginalized groups in society often have the greatest empathy for others because they know how it feels to be mistreated. I think this could also extend to animals. The LGBTQ+ community often has less rights, and because they are a minority in society, they've had to fight really hard for the rights that they do have. The trans community, specifically, often has their rights to their own bodily autonomy infringed upon by the government. Experiencing such cruelty and unfairness likely makes you more aware of the suffering of others and I think this could extend to animals.

Breaking through gender norms

Studies show there is a strong tie between eating animals and what society views as masculine. The normalization of meat consumption being a masculine trait can be a very large barrier for people who want to fit into the mold that society has laid out for them. One thing that the LGBTQ+ community does well is break down gender norms, which is honestly good for all of society. When you stop caring about how society views you, and if you're manly enough or feminine enough, you start living authentically. You do the things that brings you joy and live according to your own personal values. 

Community

When you're part of one social justice movement, you're more likely to hear about others because everyone is focused on making society a better place. There is often an overlap between different social justice movements.

Additionally, because such a large percentage of the LGBTQ+ space is vegan, vegetarian, or plant-based, if you are dating someone within the community, you are much more likely to be introduced to these movements and ideas. This could increase the amount of vegans in the community even more!

If you have any other thoughts on why this overlap exists, we'd love to hear them!

Queer-Owned Vegan Businesses That We Love

I wanted to take a few paragraphs to highlight a couple queer-owned vegan businesses that we love and buy from often, in case you're looking for more small vegan businesses to support! :)

Pie Pie My Darling

Unfortunately this first one is Chicago-specific for now, but if you're ever in Chicago, this should be at the top of your list! Pie Pie My Darling is a fully vegan bakery in Chicago. It's queer + one-woman owned as well. It was established in 2014, so it's been around for awhile now. They've been featured in VegNews and regularly win awards for their amazing desserts. 

During Pride Month, they sell individual slices of the rainbow cake shown below. We got this one last year and it was delicious! They also sell beautiful rainbow cakes year-round, but you do have to order them in advance. They have a lot of great cake flavors, but our personal favorites are the Strawberry Streusel Cake and the Cookie Monster Cake!

Peaceful Rebel Cheese

Peaceful Rebel Cheese (not to be confused with Rebel Cheese) is a fully vegan cheese company operating in Colorado. It was founded in 2017, but recently changed ownership and is now queer woman owned! You can find their cheeses at various brick and mortars that sell specialty vegan cheeses, but if you're not lucky enough to have one of those kinds of shops near you, they also ship!

Their cheeses are soy-based, which means that they actually have some protein, which is a rarity for vegan cheeses. They have a ton of different and unique flavors, and many of them have won awards. Our personal favorites are the caramelized garlic and really any of their feta cheese options!

If you have a favorite LGBTQ+ owned vegan businesses, we'd love to hear about them! Shoot us an email or message us on our social medias! :)