My Facebook friend S’thabiso gives this topic a little bit of a different spin as she addresses:

5 questions you ask guaranteed to break the peace with any ‘black’ vegetarian‏

s'thabiso

If you have prior to reading this asked any of the below please kindly proceed to the nearest tree and hug it tightly and ask Zeus to advocate on your behalf for mother nature to forgive you – repeat this three times whiles doing a hippie dance around the chosen tree two times clockwise while walking backwards to erase the stupidity of it all.
(1) “You a vegetarian? Are you really vegetarian? So you don’t eat meat? I don’t believe you.”

I said vegetarian the first time no matter how many other times you ask this question in variations the answer will still remain. I.e: why should your believing my lifestyle choice matter – I find this question personally irritating like how on earth do you expect me to prove my statement? Why should I have to prove this again? I don’t dispute your claim to eating meat. You know what, just follow me around all day ok?’

(2) “You kidding right? You got to be joking right?’ I have never met a ‘black’ vegan before. So unusual.”

Uhmm really I have a whole phone book filled with them you would be surprised how many of us are not somewhere out in the woods playing with unicorns. We are your neighbors/friends/colleagues/family members and yes we exist right here on planet earth amongst you.

(3) “So what do you eat?”

This is my favorite most hated question, as if all ‘blacks’ eat is meat? They ask this as if meat is all we HAVE to eat like how all ‘blacks’ MUST hate the DA.

(4) “were you raised vegetarian from birth?”

This question at face value seems all good and well, until you kind of realise by the 15th inquiry this question is thrown out there as a tool to show you – “hey you just like me” no matter that you been vegetarian/vegan for 9 years, “you too once ate bacon” – trust me had I been given a choice to baby talk my request to be raised vegetarian to my parents I would have done it just after the umbilical cord was cut.

(4) “why you trying be white?”/ “were you adopted?”

Cause white people don’t eat meat? Question is why are you trying to be white and eating meat yes we see you there at ocean basket with the plate of Salmon.

(5) “why you still fat?”

Oh right cause all meat eaters are skinny yes? Any diet regiment one chooses to follow must be healthy and well balanced. Being a vegetarian is not a lose weight get skinny gimmick it’s a full-time conscious life choice which includes ensuring a healthy balanced daily food intake. My genes and jeans have nothing to do with it.

Do us all a favor the next time you come across vegetarian Bheki or Gugu please resist the urge to be ignorant and ask any infuriatingly stupid questions above, we do not mind answering your question of the differences between vegetarians and vegans though.

NB: Dear fellow ‘black’ community we are not brainwashed nor need saving please be more like my white friends they don’t ask me silly questions they just respect my decision and make sure I have a proper stand alone meal at the next dinner at they house and not be resigned to your side plate salads as a main meal.

Peace and Color be with you all the days of your life.

[For a range of stories from different people relating to different aspects of vegetarianism, click here]