Interview for Full of Life
Highlighting a variety of people, Andréa Lussing recently started a series on her blog, Full of Life, to inspire others on their journey, and I’m happy to say that I was the first one to be included.
Congratulations on committing to your passion full time! About T.O.F.U., I love that Issue #6 challenges vegans to look critically at the ‘ethical’ label of the vegan movement. Why do you think it’s important to highlight challenging topics such as this one?
There are so many reasons why it’s important to challenge people, whether they’re vegan or not. With the way so many issues are connected, there is no end point where you’ve reached peak compassion. Being vegan is just a part of it, and, in some ways, it tends to cause its own problems. Highlighting those areas, including racism, fat shaming, ageism, etc., is just my attempt to get folks to go beyond doing things “for the animals†or to at least acknowledge that those animals should include people.
If we’re not going to fight all forms of oppression, then where will we be once we end the oppression of animals? Sure, it’s hard to fight for everything, but being open to criticism from those who are fighting for something else is the easiest way to ensure you’re not being a part of the problem. Hopefully, by addressing these issues from the standpoint of already being vegan, readers will be open to considering those criticisms as well.
I had a lot of fun with the questions that Andréa sent me for this interview, and I’m really happy with how she presented it on her blog. Getting the chance to talk about things beyond the start of the magazine and my reason for being vegan is always great, and seeing it all laid out so well is even better!
You can find the whole thing here, and I recommend you keep an eye on her site for future spotlights of inspirational folks, including the second one on Tera McDonald.
Visit the Full of Life website for recipes, articles, tips, and more.
