Why are male vegans, a minority, leading the way?

male vegans minority

Male vegans are thriving.

They are dominating every area of animal rights activism and I am fascinated by how, once again, they managed to get on top.

I don’t mean this in a bad way either. It fascinates me how our differences show up in vegan advocacy and activism. We just can’t help it.

It is no secret that the majority of vegans are women. We have been talking about this issue for years now and I don’t think we have figured out how to solve it yet.

Men are just not going vegan.

So tell me, why are the biggest vegan voices male? Why do I see men taking the lead when they are a minority? How come women follow, always follow?

Before I share with you my answer, I want to encourage you to share with me your thoughts down in the comments section. I would really like to hear what you think about this topic.

In my opinion, women are calmer while men tend to be more aggressive. That makes women, in general, more likely to preach about kindness and compassion, while men will aim for controversy and a harsher approach.

Before you go and write that nasty comment you are thinking about, yes, I am generalizing and this does not mean every woman is calm and every man is aggressive.

Biologically we are different, however, and we do tend to be walking stereotypes. A female will have more compassion for someone who is struggling and a male will be quicker to call their bullshit.

We complement each other, that’s why we work together so well.

It makes sense then that men get more attention, on average (but that is my opinion, not an actual statistic), and have more followers and subscribers. They are louder and more radical in their approach, therefore more people stumble upon their content.

They are also less afraid of offending people or sugarcoating what non-human animals go through in the slaughterhouse.

Women, on the other hand, want to make people feel comfortable and safe. We like to take small steps and give people space to evolve.

I am about to say something triggering so get ready.

Women are maternal.

The majority of women are mothers and it doesn’t matter whether or not they have children. We are just wired that way; we have evolved to care and to nurture.

Sure, there is some societal pressure in the mix, but biologically we feel the need to parent and protect. I think that’s beautiful and we can use it to make this planet a better place.

This is the reason, in my opinion, why male vegans, a minority, are leading the way.

Because they are not interested in making people feel comfortable or using words that preach unity. They will not hold your hand as you ditch dairy, instead, they will continue reminding you that you should do more.

When I look at women, we smile more, hug more, and offer support to everyone, no matter how early in their transition they happen to be. Dare I say, we take a more spiritual approach to advocacy.

Remember, I did say this post is not about individual humans or the minorities of women and men who don’t fit the stereotype.

But can you really look at Colleen Patrick-Goudreau and Evanna Lynch, and not see how radically different their energy is from Earthling Ed or Cosmic Skeptic?

Just look at the words and tools they use to speak up against injustice. This is a pure feminine approach to activism, compared to serious men who debate and ruffle peoples feathers.

Men end up on top because they know how to get attention and create controversy (which is not a bad thing, mind you). We love to follow someone who makes us feel strong emotions, like anger and frustration, so naturally, they are kings of social media.

Most of their followers are already vegan (or are heavily interested in it) so they know what will generate a response they seek.

While women create content that speaks to you on a deeper level. They are not widely popular, but they have communities and tribes. Non-vegans follow them because they know it is safe. Women inspire, connect and understand.

I truly believe it comes down to biology and how we have evolved.

As I said in the beginning, I would love to hear your thoughts. This is purely based on my observation and what I know about biology.

I also want to point out that I love all of the people I mentioned, and I do not believe one approach to vegan advocacy is better than the rest.

All I want is to hear other peoples opinions about why male vegans are leading the movement, despite being a minority.

If you like what you just read and you want to hear more from me, please make sure you are following me on Pinterest and Instagram.

Tanja

male vegans minority