I’m not vegan, but something I really respect about vegans is that there’s always a reason why they became vegan, and it’s almost never because they’ve always preferred the taste of meals without animal products. 1/12

Sometimes it’s a health reason, sometimes it’s an ecological reason, or an animal rights reason, or some mixture of these and/or other reasons. And all of those reasons are obviously valid! I think veganism is an interesting model for other movements or lifestyles. 2/12

Many people spend their lives not even thinking about why there are so many animal products in their food, for starters. It’s just how society conditions us to expect to fulfill our nutritional needs. But it’s not necessary for survival. 3/12

But if the only reason to become a vegan were because you just loved the taste of foods with no animal products, there would be very few vegans. That alone is not enough. It has to mean more. The development of vegan recipes that taste delicious definitely helps, yes. 4/12

Tasty vegan food, whether as your sole source of daily nutrition or as an occasional alternative, certainly makes it easier to convince people that it’s worth trying, but it’s all the other ethical, health, and ecological reasons that make it mean something more. 5/12

And even if you choose not to be vegan, the conversations around veganism impact all sorts of other areas. I’d never thought about the ecological impact of meat consumption, but I make a conscious effort to limit my own meat consumption because of the light that vegans... 6/12

... have shed on the negative impacts of livestock and dairy farming. Sometimes I choose vegan options to lessen my contributions or to give my body a cleaner alternative. I’m not vegan, but I appreciate veganism and its message and I’ll take part from time to time. 7/12

I think of naturism and nudism similarly. It’s not enough that it feels good to be nude. Everyone has been nude at some point, and it’s meaningless on its own. It has to mean something if a person is going to decide to become a nudist or naturist. 8/12

The fact that it feels good to be nude is a huge plus, of course! The feeling of the sun, the water, the breeze, the ease of motion... all of that is good, but is it enough? Is it enough if naturism doesn’t also stand for something more? 9/12

Maybe for some. But not for most. Naturism has so mean something more than individual feelings of joy or freedom. It will mean different things for different people. Maybe it’s about equality, rights, connection with nature, ecology, oneness with something greater. 10/12

And maybe it’s a message we share and some folks will partake from time to time without ever claiming that title. And that’s OK, too, because they see the message and understand that it means something... they can accept those values and respect them in their own way. 11/12

Obviously veganism and naturism are different in a lot of ways. I don’t want to conflate the two, but there is a lot we can learn from veganism and what it means to be vegan. I’d love to hear your thoughts! 12/12

And now I’m wondering if vegetarians are to vegans as nudists are to naturists.