Hello, Little buns. It is Stef welcome back to my home so um
Hahaha I do live stream several times a week, and it's always very laid-back very casual
And I'm just very real and very raw with everything we talk about and everything we do on these live streams
There is a link in the description box to you now. Which is where I livestream if you are curious and
Something that comes up quite a bit as veganism. Which is obviously a
sensitive issue and something that is very important to a lot of people and I
Said something in this live stream
regarding Veganism that isn't sitting right with me and that I regret kind of saying? Maybe not regret because
Saying it has made me come to reflect a little bit more, but I mean it wasn't- it wasn't-
Wasn't really a good thought what I said, I don't know it didn't really- it wasn't really- you
Know whatever makes me feel weird that I said that, what I said was basically
If vegans cared half as much about trans people as they did about animals, that I would have time to care about Veganism which
Isn't really true
The reality is I think Veganism is necessary
And I think we could do a lot better in the way we treat animals
And I think there are plenty of vegetables and other- other kinds of food that gives the proper kind of nutrients to replace meat
so if [we] can reduce our
consumption of animals, improve the Environment and
Be kinder then I don't see why we shouldn't, and that's really what I've come to understand
It's like I probably would like to be a vegan
I probably be- I would- I should be a vegan really because I - I really- those are important issues to me
you know the environment is a big one because this world is going to shit and
Kindness just being kind and compassionate animals. I don't see why not
I don't see why not, but here's what I have told myself my whole life not my whole life
I actually was I was vegitarian
I'm when I was a kid because my senior kindergarten teacher decided to tell all the children that
The meat on your plate was an animal, which I really don't see why they shouldn't know that
You know what I mean, I don't see why kids shouldn't be aware of that
I think if we're- if you're going to eat meat, which I currently do so I'm not shaming people, okay? I'm just saying, if you're gonna
eat meat I think you should own it. I think we should stop pretending
There's some kind of a difference between a dog and a cow or a pig. If you can eat a cow you should be able
to eat a dog like the only si- the only- Lord.
This is actually very important to me because people are constantly
Always shaming certain cultures and countries and groups of people for eating certain animals
But we're over here eating the animals that they consider sacred. In hinduism
cows are a sacred animal, you don't eat cows, but over here in like atheists or Christian whatever the fuck. In- in white America
We're like "Oh yeah, cows are- those are stupid
we can eat those". I think if you're going to eat meat. Like I said, I do. Own it, understand that its an animal,
understand that it likely suffered when it was being killed
Understand that those- those are the things that you're accepting when you eat it and like, I do!
And it does make me feel kind of bad, but I still eat it because I have it in my fridge
And I don't know
I think maybe I shouldn't, but I'm trying to- I'm just trying to explain to you my
Train of thought for why I haven't been a vegan my whole life. I kind of just said "Okay
that's- that's my reality, is I'm going to eat these animals
and I'm just going to acknowledge that they're animals, I'm going to acknowledge that they suffered and I'm going to be a bad person"
and that's kinda shitty! What I could do better, like why- why should I do that when I could do better?
So recently I decided, oh I'm gonna start buying meat from butchers who get their animals from like
Ranches or farms where the animals are not kept in tight cages, not mass farms
you know, like the farms where they keep them until they're- you know a
certain age or they're old and then butcher, or whatever. I don't know the exact process because I didn't do the research that I should
have done if I was trying to make an informed conscious decision
But I was like okay I'm going to do that instead, and the reality of that situation is it's really expensive.
It's very very expensive, and for- as somebody that's trying to save up for surgeries and who's living on an income that isn't exactly
Grand and is also very dodgy and very inconsistent
I don't think I have the means to invest in that kind of meat.
That expensive meat that you know has come from a good source and
Animals that've been treated well
so the logical conclusion for that train of thought would be
Maybe just buy vegetables from the grocery store because that isn't expensive for me where I live. It's not very expensive
I just realized it looks like we're sitting in the dark, so I'm just gonna-
Is that better? I hope that's better, welcome to the light! So there was that train of thought
And then there was a train of thought
The one that made me feel weird, the one that I said out loud, and I was like
Oh, that's not really- that's kind of bullshit. Which was Vegans don't care about me,
so why should I care about animals. Which was- that's bullshit that is absolute bullshit.
That's like saying "Oh, an activist of this group doesn't care about me,
so why should I care about the people that they're trying to support?" That's terrible, that is absolutely terrible. It's awful!
Um, and I think that's kind of what I realized, so I want to apologize for saying that and
I want to talk about it a little bit. My idea in this context is basically: Vegans
don't come out to fight for trans right, so why should I come out and you know be vocal in
Fighting for animals or- or whatever, and I don't have to choose.
You know what I mean?
And I'm not going to become a vegan channel even- I don't even know if I'm going to become vegan!
I might try it. I think I should try it.
Maybe for a month to see if I can do it and how it makes me feel,
but I'm not going to become like a- like a veganism activist.
But I don't see why I can't try that while fighting for trans people!
Because in my mind it's too much, what I always tell myself when I see lots of comments about like, oh
we shouldn't eat meat or this or that or whatever. Which I do think sometimes y'all, you can be real annoying.
But that's good! Because that's how you make change, the fact that you are persistent and you were constantly like, "Stef,
you can do better."
I knew I could do better,
but I didn't want to know that I didn't want to accept it, so you guys constantly telling me you can do better;
It's making me do better! So you're annoying as fuck, but thank you.
You know what I mean? Because, um, if people weren't on me about it I wouldn't have thought about it!
I would just do the easy thing. That being said I would like to see more people who are
active about veganism, be active about trans people or about other human issues
for the same reason you guys want me to be vegan. You know what I mean?
I want you guys to stand up for people as much to do for animals, and I'm sure some of you
do! I have no evidence that you don't, I just know that I see a lot more people coming at me when I
reference eating meat or I eat meat or I cook with meat in a video more than I see people coming at other
influences, or other content creators for saying something or doing something transphobic.
And I think generally that's because it's more acceptable to be a dick to trans people than it is
To say veganism has no credibility. Because you can choose to not be a vegan.
You know? Like if you can choose to eat meat. I think you should just own that
and acknowledge all of the bad shit that comes with it.
But I- it's a lot easier for people to be like, "No, trans people are crazy"
than it is to be able to be like you know, "Vegans are crazy" because it's not.
It's not really that hard to understand veganism
I think it's also important to talk about the reasons why people become
vegetarian or vegan
because it's not always for an ethical thing, you know? Some people can't eat or consume red meat because their stomach just can't handle it for a
number of reasons. Theres a lot of reasons why somebody might opt to not eat meat in their life.
And I think the ethical reason is actually probably only a third of people that don't eat meat, it's probably why. Sometimes I feel that
the weight loss
aspect is way too heralded, its way too spread and it's all- it's all bullshit!
You can be one hundred percent vegan, and still be overweight and still be fat, and that's not a problem!
I hate seeing veganism or vegetarianism use as a weapon against fat people.
They're not doing anything wrong like I don't like that. I do not like that. Body shaming people?
Not cute. If you have to resort to that to try to recruit people into your movement
you're doing it wrong.
Okay? Because that's not what made me want to become a vegetarian. Or vegan or to try becoming a vegetarian or Vegan.
And I'm not saying you should be respectable,
I'm not saying respectability politics or anything because we all know that's bullshit, too.
But coming for somebody appearance or weight or body type is ineffective, and it's cruel.
It's like coming for Donald trump because of the way he looks instead of for the fact that he's a giant douche bag and a
Criminal, you know what I mean? Putting up a statue of him in the street where he has a small penis is not a productive
criticism, so don't do that in relation to veganism and body image, okay? Because that's bullshit.
Not helping, not helping at all. All of this being said- all of this being said, I am seriously going to
try to consume no meat or animal
product
for the months of May. Any make up I run out of in the month of May I'm going to try to replace with
a vegan or cruelty free brand, and I'm just going to try. I'm going to jump right in in May and
I'm just gonna try it, and the reason I'm not starting sooner is because I have fuck loads of leftovers in my fridge
and I don't make enough money to throw them away, okay? That would be irresponsible and
I would suffer for it. So I'm going to start in May, alright? If you are vegan,
I want you to do a similar kind of challenge. I want you for the month of May to
call out transphobia anywhere you see it, too- even if its your family!
You know what, you don't get to give your family a free pass to be an asshole. So call them out!
Educate people! And don't do it in a way
that's shamy. Do it in a way thats, "Hey
you said something that isn't really true" or you know "you could do better!" because that's- that's what works!
That's what works, you could do better. You know better.
You know? If you are not vegan or vegetarian, and you want to try this with me by all means let's try it. I'm
excited. I'll be documenting my thoughts and things on Instagram and Twitter and maybe possibly Snapchat
but I never use it, but all of those are in the description box.
So if you want to keep up but you don't want to try it with me. You're welcome to or whatever- whatever!
I would love it if you tried it with me though
I want to see
how it makes me feel. And of course if you're not in a position where you can make this change
then don't- don't hurt yourself over it, because the reality is; Veganism is not always accessible and some places it might be very accessible!
But in others? Not so much. So don't feel guilty if you cannot make that adjustment to your life,
but I mean if you want to try that let's see what happens! I don't know, I'm going to head out now
I feel like I have had a projective 10 or 15 minutes or whatever this was. Again,
I apologize for, in the past being so harsh about veganism.
There are some valid criticisms that I have seen or I have
parroted in the past. Like how the quinoa import as a result of veganism becoming a much more stable in
Western culture, affecting the Farmers who can no longer eat. You know that's like a valid criticism.
But being bitter is not a valid criticism, so I apologize for being bitter and being a jerk. I'm going to try to do better!
I'm going to do better.
We're going to see, month of May is the month. We're gonna do it, okay? Until next time just know that you
What are you? Who are you? What what what what WHAT?
You are a change maker,
I've said this one before, I've said this exact thing before, but it's true! My life has been permanently
altered by you guys in so many ways, whether it's you calling me out or holding me accountable for something or whether it's your
love and support. Or your literal financial support in surgeries and supporting me as a- as a creator!
I adore you, and thank you so much for knowing that I can do better,
you know? And for keeping me on my toes and for being good friends,
you know? I really appreciate that. So until next time, just keep doing that. I love you so much. I'll see you later. Bye! <3