Vegan Sexual Harassment

Vegan Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

Your job is the place where you spend the majority of your life after becoming an adult. The last thing you might want is to arrive in a place where both the working environment and the people surrounding you are toxic. Numerous studies have already shown that a positive working environment helps the employee perform better. Despite that, people are still dealing with various forms of harassment at the place of their job. This article will go over vegan harassment at the workplace and what you can do about it. 

Why Should You Care About It? 

Like any harassment, the problem does not originate from those who practice veganism. Instead, it stems from those who do not practice or understand it. While it is your right to eat meat, wear, or use any goods made with materials from ethically sourced places, it is their right not to. It’s a personal choice that can come from various moral and ethical beliefs and should be respected, as stated by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which declares that “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” This means that just like you are free to choose to eat meat without being questioned about your lifestyle, so should someone who does not eat meat.

Understanding Veganism

Understanding veganism can be tricky; there are many ways to go about it. This umbrella term groups many words and meanings under a common category. Some people are born and raised into veganism, while some choose to be vegan. The choice can come from a medical diagnosis, ethical belief, or even out of curiosity. For some, the choice can be temporary, but for others, it can be permanent. Some vegans can choose only to eliminate animal products from their dietary lifestyle, while others completely eliminate animal products from their life. The options are endless; there are as many of them as people on the face of the earth. Everyone deserves to have their decision respected if not understood. Just like the saying goes, if you do not have anything nice to say about somebody, it is better not to say anything at all.

Veganism and Sexual Harassment

Many vegans have found themselves the victims of sexual harassment as a result of their lifestyle. Pejorative words like “weak” or “tree-huggers” are used by many bullies when addressing or describing their vegan colleagues. This positions them above, on a place of power where they can easily harass their victims. It can be done both intentionally, from a place of hatred, or unintentionally, out of lack of education. 

Finally, if you or someone you know has experienced harassment related to veganism, do not hesitate to speak up. If everything else fails, do not hesitate to seek professional help from sexual assault attorneys. Where talking does not help, justice will prevail.