Why I Stopped Supporting Veganuary
And why you should stop too.
I’ve been recommending Veganuary for years because I thought it was a good way for non-vegans to learn more about veganism and try going plant-based, even if it’s just for a month.
But after watching this video from Dr. Leila Dehghan, a former medical doctor who now works as a plant-based nutritionist, I will not support Veganuary anymore.
In the video, Dr. Dehghan points out how Veganuary is a brand that partners with unethical companies like McDonald’s and Burger King to promote a corporatized version of veganism.
If that was the only negative thing Veganuary did, I could overlook it. I can see both the pros and cons of working with fast-food conglomerates to try to add vegan items to the menu.
But McDonald’s is on the BDS boycott list for having multiple restaurants in Israel and because one of their largest investors donates large sums of money to different causes in Israel. McDonald's also provided free meals to the IDF while they were murdering Palestinians.
Burger King is on the boycott list for giving free food to Israeli soldiers.
In addition to working with brands that support Israel, Veganuary has also paired with the British military in a disgusting campaign to promote veganism while also promoting the military industrial complex, that not only kills innocent civilians, but also destroys the environment and murders countless animals in the process.
I highly recommend watching a screening of Earth’s Greatest Enemy, a documentary by journalist Abby Martin about how the military is causing environmental destruction on a scale that we can’t even fathom. This does not get talked about enough.
Here is the trailer:
Abby is currently touring around the U.S. with her film and will be going to Canada and the UK in the coming months. You can check out her “Director’s Tour” dates here.
Aside from Veganuary working with the military and unethical conglomerates to veganwash their abhorrent behavior, they also happily promote Mayim Bialik on their website and social media.
Mayim Bialik is best known for starring in Blossom and The Big Bang Theory. She also has a popular podcast where she promotes eating chips cooked in beef tallow, which isn’t vegan at all.
Bialik is also a “proud Zionist” who is so unhinged in her support of Israel that she promoted a children’s book that teaches kids to support colonialism and genocide. As a teacher who has worked with young kids for over 16 years, it makes me sick that she would promote brainwashing children to make them think that murdering people is ok.
Genocide isn’t vegan. Murdering humans is just as wrong as murdering animals. I shouldn’t even have to type that, but it seems as if some people need to be reminded.
Despite her support of the Palestinian genocide, Veganuary proudly mentions Bialik as a “high-profile celebrity supporter” and has not publicly cut ties with her now that the truth about Israel’s continued genocide against Palestine is clear for the entire world to see.
Promoting Zionists and the military industrial complex are where I draw the line. I’ve been boycotting companies left and right for supporting Israel and working with Zionists, so now it’s time to add Veganuary to the list.
Dr. Dehghan has created a free plant-based eating course that you can link to instead of supporting Veganuary.
Vegans for Palestine has made some helpful infographics on their Instagram, listing vegan companies to boycott as well as explaining why it’s important to boycott them.
I also highly recommend listening to the Vegans for Palestine podcast. It’s available on YouTube and any podcast app you use.
The animal rights movement doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s intertwined with human rights, environmental rights, and anti-colonialism. As a first-generation American whose ancestors in Guatemala and El Salvador were colonized by the Spanish and forced to suffer through genocide at the hands of the U.S., I see the interconnection between animal rights and human rights very clearly.
The same oppressive, capitalist system that harms billions of animals every year is also destroying the planet and killing people all over the world.
The sooner we can dismantle this destructive system, the sooner we can liberate all animals.
Free Palestine!
I have been boycotting anything Israel and didn’t realize any of these things. I make everything I eat and haven’t been to a fast food restaurant for anything (not even to use the restroom). I did recently eat at a plant based restaurant in Florida when returning to the states from an international vacation and they had vegan Doritos made in Israel. I quickly informed them that I’d NEVER support the country even though the states are also responsible for the genocide in Gaza. When the owner heard this, he apologized and took them off the counter.
This is a very different perspective of a reason not to support Veganuary. I forget the details but it also has been suggested that it tends not to really instill a real reason to be vegan. It shouldn't just be for a month.