Today is World Vegan Day

Lucy, who lives at Rooterville animal sanctuary.

We have our own day.

Having a blog that includes veganism, I get to interact with folks about veganism every day. Sometimes positive, sometimes negative.

I still get surprised when someone attacks my veganism, which is ultimately a very personal decision for me, one made because I did not want to be part of cruelty and torture that happens so to appease taste buds.

In January I will celebrate 20 years of being 100% vegan which means for 20 years I have consumed no meat, dairy, eggs, honey or any other by-product from animals. Yes, this also means that my belts and dress shoes are not leather and my ties to not contain silk.

As every human my age and up knows, life goes by very fast. It's difficult to grasp that I have been vegan that long. Although I became vegan for animal cruelty issues, the benefits of being vegan as I get older include being healthier. At 47 I ran my first half marathon. Looking forward to my third next May at age 50.

I know many who read my blog are not vegan. I hope I am able to provide here information (see all of the links) and life experience (read the posts) that show how easy being vegan is and how it is available to anyone. Myths around veganism and protein and cost are just those, myths. The benefits around being vegan, to you, the environment and to the animals, are endless.

So happy World Vegan Day.

Don't forget what the bigots did.

What an amazing week!

Watching gay couples get married in Oklahoma, Virginia, West Virginia, Nevada. Legal marriage is now in a majority of the states. I wept as I watched couples who had been together 20, 30 years finally being allowed to legally marry.

Of course many are not happy. As I write, the state of South Carolina is doing everything they can to not allow gays to marry.

And as hundreds of couples marry around the country, I ask each of you to not forget.

Please don't forget the bigots and the religious extremists. Please don't forget those who used every waking breathe to keep marriage from us.

Please don't forget those who had the power to simply say yes, or vote yes, and instead said or voted no.

Please don't forget those who demonized us, and continue to demonize us.

Which brings me to my point.

Many of these same people are running for election or re-election across the country. Some of them want people to forget their horrible words and votes against gays and lesbians. Some of them think they will get more votes by demonizing us.

Don't let them do it. Don't let them win.

We have the power. It's called the vote.

Vote. Make sure they know we haven't forgotten. Make sure we speak with a loud voice.

Thank you for reading!

Your bacon had a face and so much more

Everyone seems to love bacon.

When some folks find out that I am vegan they make sure they let me know how much they love bacon.

I became vegan because I do not want to do harm to any living beings, including pigs. I haven't had bacon for over 18 years.

When I see or smell bacon, I think about pigs and how awesome they are. I don't think about missing bacon or wishing I could eat it.

I think about torture, abuse, cruelty, sadness, intelligence, and squealing.

While considering this post I read articles on pigs. I could have spent months on this. Pigs are quite the intelligent beings. There is plenty of data online if you'd like to learn about that.

For me though, pigs could be the dumbest creation on earth and I would still not want to kill them. I firmly believe that if given a choice, a pig would run away from a dude about to slit her throat. She wouldn't want to die. She wouldn't want to live her life in a gestation crate, unable to turn around and unable to truly care for her piglets.

Pigs are product to those who make money off of them. Pure and simple money.

As I write this I am thinking of a little pig named Lucy. This past week she was found by neighbors of a woman who rocks compassion in my book. I found out about Lucy from friends on Facebook and immediately donated to her care. She is so young and so sick, and so precious. I am grateful that she got in the hands of humans who give a crap.

I'm not sure about Lucy's story, or where she was born. Not sure if her mom was bred so Lucy could be bacon or not. Regardless, she's in great hands now and I hope that with her illnesses she come through everything OK.

If you would like to donate to Lucy's care, click here.  We donated not only because Lucy touched us, but also because we believe that as animal-loving folk, we have to support those who go out on a financial limb to help animals that are suffering when possible for us to do so.

Every time someone buys bacon they support the maltreatment of living, feeling, intelligent beings. They pay someone to inflict harm and cruelty on that same being.

It's totally not worth it.

On our blogs main page we have several links that could be supportive of you if you would like to consider going vegan.

Thanks for reading.

An angry vegan?

I have written hundreds of blog posts. I always try to focus on the positive, on what we all can do to make the world a better place for all living beings, and that we all have more in common than not.

My motto is: kindness rules.

This post might not come across that way. The main point I want to get across is that any person fighting for a cause becomes a direct representative of that cause. Their actions and behaviors can have a positive or negative affect on the cause.

How fortunate am I to have a place that sells vegan milkshakes within walking distance of my office?!?!

Once in a while, on my way back to the office from an appointment or a special trip to just get out of the office and take a deep breathe, I swing by WaterCourse Foods to enjoy a delicious milkshake.

Several weeks ago I was sitting in the front waiting for my milkshake when a group of three folks walked in wearing animal rights t-shirts. The one that caught my attention was the gentleman wearing a t-shirt that had the words "F%%K MEAT" on it. Keep in mind that I'm not using the entire word, although the entire word was on the t-shirt.

The gentleman was waiting for a table. He didn't seem too friendly. He was well built, no smile. Walking around with his "F%%K MEAT" t-shirt. I'm sure he could be the friendliest guy on earth but that didn't come across.

First of all, I don't like t-shirts with that word on it. For any reason. I think that word stirs up different emotions in people. I definitely think that there are much more creative words to use. I fully admit that I use that word.

It might have made a little sense if the gentleman was walking around a steak house, rather than a vegan restaurant. I'm sure I would still not like the shirt, but wearing it in a place where there is no meat?

I also will admit that I am 48. He was in his twenties. Maybe this is an age thing and I just don't get it.

What I do get, however, is that if I am fighting for the animals that suffer every day to, in this case, become food for folks, then I have the opportunity to be a voice for them. I have the opportunity to engage with people to tell their story, to talk about their plight. I have the opportunity to leave people feeling positive about also wanting to help animals who suffer to become food or leave them feeling that I am just another angry vegan.

I am the voice for the voiceless. I wonder how those who suffer would want me to best represent them.

I have heard the term "angry vegan" often. I hadn't really thought about the term until I saw this gentleman.

Then I take a look at myself in the mirror and ask the question: Am I being a good representative for the voiceless animals who suffer so intensely?

I hope so. With so much suffering, with so many people totally clueless when it comes to animal cruelty, I firmly believe that being positive, kind and non-judgmental when being a voice for the voiceless is the way to go.

I would love to know your thoughts!

Thanks for reading.

Coming out: I am vegan

I know, you're not surprised. After all, it's in the title of my blog.

I have been vegan for 18 years and am still surprised by the reaction I get. Most notably, that people have to make a point to tell me how delicious their non-vegan meal is, how much they love meat or how they could never go vegan.

Before I proceed, please remember that I believe that everyone is on their own path. I always try to be there to support folks wanting to become vegan or even give it a try, but I am not standing in judgement to anyone who is not vegan.

I didn't become vegan because I didn't like animal meat or dairy cheese or dairy milk. I didn't become vegan to lose weight or try to be healthier.

I became vegan because I want to do the least harm possible while on this earth and did not want any living being to suffer to become my meal. Since then, I have stayed vegan because I decided that I do not have the right to take the life of another living being, whether I actually kill the animal or pay someone else to do so. I have also been able to enjoy the health benefits, of which there are many, of being vegan.

It's definitely a path for me. I learn new things about veganism, animal rights, animal welfare, health, nutrition and fitness practically every day. I pay more attention to what I eat. My body tells me when I am not eating enough of something or too much of something else.

My struggle is always with sugar. Since coming back from vacation a couple of weeks ago I decided (again) to cut sugar as much as possible. I've only had two desserts since and hope to keep limiting my sugar.

I love so many vegetables that I had never really tried before becoming vegan: kale, Swiss chard, dates, collard greens and well over a dozen types of peppers. My food intake is more diverse than any animal meat eater I know.

It is certainly not difficult to be vegan. One makes a decision that they do not want to be part of the inevitable torture, cruelty and fear that animals go through to become food and the culinary adventure begins.

I have some links on the main page of our blog site that can be helpful to folks new to veganism. Nutrition and fitness are very important in my vegan life.

Thanks for reading.

Still don't want to vote?

I was reading a friend's Facebook comments recently about a man running for the state house in Michigan who removed her comments and blocked her from his Facebook page after she posted that she would not be voting for him. My first thought was "typical", and then I started really thinking about it.

This guy, who I also would not vote for if I still lived back in my hometown, could easily win. He may not support women, he may not support public schools, he may not support equality for gays and lesbians. He could support corporate and agricultural welfare, he could support allowing anyone to buy any type of gun from anyone else and he could support a myriad of other things that I might disagree with.

And he is just like someone running for political office where you live.

He is almost assured a victory.

Unless you vote.

There is a huge us vs. them battle going on these days. This is perpetuated by those in political power and those who want political power. And it's not just one party, it's members of both parties.

In many activist communities I have met people who do not vote. Amazing activists, incredibly passionate people. Yet they don't vote.

In November, there will be elections all over the country. New congressmen will be elected or re-elected, members of state houses will be elected, new school board members, etc. Whoever wins will represent you at the US Capitol, your state capitol and your county school board.

I write a lot about being a voice for the voiceless. This is another one of those opportunities. Check out the candidates in your area. Find out where they stand on issues important to you. Call them or email them. Even if you are in a supposed district where the winner is already known.

We have the power.

Vote.

Vote for the animals. Vote for equal rights. Vote to support equality for women. Vote to support nine year olds who are refugees on our border. Vote to speak out loudly for the voiceless.

Thanks for reading.

My second half marathon

This past May I ran my second half marathon. As I did last year, I ran to fundraise for the organization I work for which serves youth experiencing homelessness.

For those new to this blog, I have not been running for long. I began last March (of 2013) when I decided to try the half marathon portion of a local race in Denver, The Colfax Marathon. For me it was all about fundraising, a way to support a cause I believe in so strongly (young people living on the streets).

This year my training was a little different. Winter seemed to go on and on here in Colorado, and although I am good running in cool temperatures I don't like running in freezing temperatures. So my training was affected, or some might say I chose to train less.

I finally got some good runs in, paid attention to some vegan athletes I follow through social media, and started to build my confidence for the upcoming half marathon.

Since last year when I began running, I sure have begun to enjoy it. At first it was a task, a tough one at that. Now I feel in my comfort zone when running, a chance to think or not think, to just be and breathe. It's a pretty good feeling. I also feel, no matter the distance of a run, that I am doing something good for myself, my physical being as well as my mental being.

May 18th came quickly this year and before I knew it I was at the starting line. A cool morning, and I was super excited. A co-worker of mine ran with me, and that made a huge difference.

The 13.1 mile route is rather flat. All the better for me. By the fourth mile I felt rather good. As I pass each mile I do a check of how I am feeling: breathing, good; feet, good; legs, good. Up until mile 9 or so. By then the sun was in full force, I had to go to the bathroom really bad, and I felt that my whole body was giving up.

At the mile 10 station there was no line at the port-a-potties so I could finally go. I covered myself with water and drank water and Gatorade. I felt refreshed. After a good start from that station I felt better, back to being energized and excited.

At mile 12 some Colorado firefighters from the annual calendar were in the middle of the street shirtless and giving hi-fives, that was nice!

After 2 hours and 41 minutes I crossed the finish line. My goal, a goal I had though of at the race last year, was 2:30. Yet I beat my 2:55 time from last year.

And I had a blast. Not just with the race itself but with everything I did before the race to train.

It is quite a shock to me that at 48 I love running.

If you are interested in running, a great website and a great support system I have found is here: VegRunChat . I've met many wonderful people here and gotten some great inspiration.

If you are interested in just getting more active, perhaps doing something other than running or in addition to running, No Meat Athlete is a great resource. Of course both of these sites honor my plant-based life, and if you are not veg or vegan I think you could still get a lot out of them.

Thanks for reading!

One day at a time

Taking things one day at a time is important to me for my own self care.

If you are in any type of 12 step recovery program, you probably know this phrase very well.

The premise is to live in today. To not worry about the past or the future, to just rock today.

Or as I have heard it said in another way: If you have one foot in yesterday and one foot in tomorrow, you are pissing all over today.

Amen.

Life can get tough sometimes. It can get dark. It can get overwhelming. Sometimes one can feel stuck in a rut, and can feel that way for a while.

If you are an activist of any sort, it can be easy to get filled with all of the negative things you are fighting against. The suffering of animals, the destruction of our environment, the persecution of others, etc. We can see so much of this that it affects us. In a negative way.

Each day I try my best to be a powerful voice for the voiceless. I try to build bridges. I try to make the world a better place for all living beings.

Some days I feel like I don't do enough.

Some days I encounter darkness within me. Some call it sadness. Some call it feeling depressed. I call it darkness.

Definitely not a fun place to be.

If I am living in today, just today, taking it one day at a time, I tend to get in that dark place less often. Less fear. Less angst. Just focusing on today and what I can do to help. What I can do to help the animals, the voiceless, my community.

It's funny how my life fills up with light the more I help others.

And one last point I'd like to make is that I do not have be in my darkness alone. My incredibly supportive husband and friends are always there to support me and to love on me. That makes a huge difference, no matter what I am going through.

Thanks for reading this post.

One small action today

That's all it takes, just one small action.

When all of us who care about animals and care about making the world a better place take one small action, the world changes.

The world becomes a little more compassionate.

Or a little safer for animals.

A little less cruel.

A little more hopeful.

Just one small action.

If you're not vegan or veg, try not eating meat today.

If you're veg but not vegan, try being vegan today.

If you have a few more minutes to be online after reading this post, go to an group you support that has action alerts and do one of them.

If you have a dog in your family, take them on a walk.

A new veg restaurant in town, go support them.

Send a donation to your favorite non-profit.

Bring a vegan dessert to your dinner gathering tonight.

You get the idea.

We can all make the world a better place for all living beings. It begins with one small action.

Thanks for reading.

I'd rather go naked than wear down or fur

Welcome to our first video!

It's been cold and snowy in Lakewood. A lot of snow in the last couple of days.

I decided to make a quick video. Although I would have loved to do it in front of a fur store, my chances of getting arrested were a lot less by doing it in my backyard.

I wanted to remind people that they do not need down or fur to be warm.

Animals who are part of the fur and down industries, well they are tortured, beaten, go through intense pain, and live in fear.

My winter jacket is down-free. I got it from Patagonia. They also sell down jackets but have some awesome non-down versions.

Like I say in the video, if you love even just one kind of animal, you do not want to buy down or fur. You just don't want to be a part of that!

I hope you like the video. It's my first.

Thanks for reading and for watching the video!

Humane slaughter?

NOTE: If you do not want to think about animals being killed for food you might not want to read this post.

Recently I saw a photo of an experiment that was testing how long a gas would take to kill chickens. I wont show the photo but I'm sure you can find it on Google.

It seems outrage against animal cruelty in the food industry has sparked interest in those who profit off of killing animals to see if they can do this without looking bad to consumers.

So have an animal. Let's say a pig. Typical, factory farm pig killing is not pretty. It's not something the pig wants to go through. I'm sure the pig would much rather go take a nap in some straw or go splash around in mud. Nonetheless here she is being hung up and slaughtered.

All so someone can have their bacon.

Again, if you want to see this process you can find it on Google.

I do not believe in humane slaughter. The bottom line for me is that if the animal had the opportunity to walk or run away from being killed, they would.

I became vegan because I wanted to do as little harm to all living beings as possible while going through this thing called life. I do not want to be the cause for the death or suffering of another being. I realized that I did not have to participate in the slaughter.

I see marketing words like "humane slaughter" and "humanely raised" all of the time these days. To me that's all they, marketing terms. There is no legal definition for what that means and in the end your humanely raised pig is going to be terrified as she is trucked off to be killed.

There are so many people who love animals but still eat them. They either don't want to think about what happens to them to get to their plate or they have simply decided that their taste buds are worth it. Or, they just don't know another way and really don't know how to begin a life that truly includes loving animals.

Just because we have always done something doesn't mean we have to continue to do it.

There are resources galore to help people who have decided they want to stop participating in the slaughter. The world is changing and vegetarianism is alive and well. And when I write the word vegetarianism I mean no meat and no meat by-product. There are communities all over the world that are there to support you!

Thanks for reading.

What is "vegan friendly"?

I hear the term "vegan friendly" in regards to a restaurant often and am always curious about it. Some times I think it means that there are several vegan items to choose from. Other times I think that the restaurant is not vegan or veg yet has vegan options, or that the folks who run the restaurant are friendly to vegans.

For me personally, vegan friendly means that the owner/manager and staff are welcoming to vegans and make vegans feel like they are home.

It means that a server knows what vegan means and what on their menu is vegan.

It means that the server smiles when we say we are vegan, rather than frown.

It means that the server doesn't say "we don't really have anything that is vegan".

The food doesn't have to to be the best vegan food we have ever eaten. They have to have tried of course, but for me it is more in the attitude and hospitality of those running the restaurant that matters, because if they rock in those areas that means that good vegan food will happen even if they are not there yet.

An example is this new Pho restaurant in Lakewood. Yes, Lakewood! Mike and I are so excited. The vegan options just keep coming in our own city!

We decided last minute to check this place out while we were out running errands. Being new, we hadn't heard of this place nor did we know if they would have vegan options.

I will definitely be doing a restaurant review on this place later, but what I want to say now is about how well we were treated. The server knew what vegan meant and understood everything from fish oil to broth. When the Pho came out I took a photo of it (being a good blogger!). The owner saw this and asked if I would post it on Facebook and I thought to myself "buddy, you have no idea" as I told him I was a blogger, that I was vegan, and that I was so excited. His face literally lit up! He told us about everything on the menu that was vegan, and was super excited that we were there.

He made us feel right at home.

That, my friends, is vegan friendly.

Thanks for reading!

An 18-year vegan

At 47, it's difficult to believe that it's been 18 years since that amazing day when I was 29 and decided to no longer participate in all of the cruelty that was happening in order for me to eat meat. I became a vegan.

I have never really looked backed.

No, it hasn't been difficult.

Difficult is being tortured, living in fear, being constantly abused and beaten and then eventually slaughtered just so someone can eat.

In the last 18 years veganism hasn't changed at all. It still is the simple notion that I can be healthy and live an amazing life without having to consume meat or animal by-products. If you are just learning about veganism, it means no meat and also no dairy, eggs, honey, etc. For me it also means that I do not wear animals, products like leather or even silk.

It is super easy.

My annual physical with my doc has  become a testament to what veganism, and paying attention to putting good things into my body, means to my health. Uber-low bad cholesterol. Great numbers when looking at protein, B12 and other things that tend to be a concern for people who are not vegan. My doc even tells me now that there is a huge difference between blood tests of someone who eats meat and someone who doesn't. As in those who do not eat meat get better results.

Kale? Yep. I love it. I also love dates, blueberries, Swiss chard, collard greens and dark cherries.

Miss cheese? No way. To me dairy cheese means cruelty. It means veal calves and inhumane actions that I just can't support.

Last year I did my first half-marathon. I'm not saying that if I ate meat I couldn't do it, I'm simply saying that as a 47 year old vegan I did it.

Vegan athletes are everywhere. The strongest dude in the world is vegan.

And so are elephants. Yep. And rhinos.

Thinking about veganism? Go for it. There are a ton of helpful links right here on our blog page to help you out. And we would help you too.

Thanks for reading!

Forgiveness

I have been thinking of this as a topic for a post for a while now.

In my personal life I have had to ask for forgiveness many times.

I have also had to forgive.

In a world that sometimes feels completely filled with hatred and unkindness, with violence, judgement and just plain meanness, being able to forgive or ask for forgiveness can be huge.

I often write about one of my main purposes with this blog: to make this world a better, safer pace for all living beings. That is more difficult to do if I am filled with negativity towards someone, or is I have treated someone in a manner that was unkind in any way.

In a past blog post, one about being kind, I wrote "We do not need to meet hate with hate or unkindness with unkindness." I truly believe this. Just because someone is unkind to me doesn't mean I need to be unkind to them.

Easy? Not really.

Worth it? Totally.

Several years ago I planned a veg fest here in Denver called the Denver Veg Fest. My first event of this type and I had a blast. The great thing was to see a diverse crowd of people, a couple of thousand plus, all there to learn a little about veganism and animal rights (and to try some great vegan food!). Successful in many ways, mainly in that I felt we had created something that was a loud voice for the animals.

In the end, it also became an amazing fundraiser, with me being able to donate thousands of dollars to local and national animal groups.

When I decided to not plan another veg fest, I began to hear that some people were saying, behind my back, that I had "stolen" money from the fest. The fest was my deal, and there were a handful of folks who helped with it who also had a say in the money we raised and where it should be donated.  The people saying negative things about me personally had nothing to do with the all of the hard work it took to put on the fest. I was completely caught off guard by this. The whole idea of what was being said was incredibly hurtful to me. Words definitely hurt.

It took me awhile, but I had to forgive. It was not going to do me or the voiceless I try to be a voice for every day any good if I allowed myself to hold onto anything negative about these folks. All I could do is simply put out there what I did and why, which I did, and then let it go.

And of course there have been many times when I have had to apologize and ask for forgiveness. I try my best to make those times as few as possible.

With so much suffering in the world, with so much hatred, there is just no reason to use our energy in holding onto grudges or being mean to others.

Forgive. Let go. Move on. Build a bridge and get over it.

Then get busy. The animals need you. The poor need you. The activists in prison need. The voiceless need you.

Thanks for reading!

We all have more in common than not

One of the things I try to promote with The Gay Vegans blog is that in my opinion, we all have mroe in common than not.

What I really mean with this statement is that I might disagree with you on one point, and another, and another. Yet it in the big picture of life, what we do not agree on or what we do not have in common is pretty small compared to everything that we agree on or have in common.

Why does this matter?

I usually start with 9 billion.

That is the number I use that represents the amount of animals being killed for food in the US alone in one year. It does not include animals in labs, in circuses, in "fashion". I also don't think it includes living beings killed in our oceans or jailed in places like Sea World.

It's a big number. Each living being being forced to live in fear, live with torture and pain and cruelty.

I am vegan because I want to do the least amount of harm as possible during my time on earth.

So with the statement about what we have in common, I also mean that in order to be a voice and to make change, we need to set differences aside and focus on the 9 billion.

Or on HIV/AIDS.

Or on poverty, marriage equality, homelessness, fill in the blank.

Why spend one ounce of energy focusing on a difference, on a disagreement, when we know that energy takes away from us being a voice for the voiceless or making the world a better place for all living beings.

It's not easy. In fact, it can be outright difficult. But it can be done. It has to be done.

Thanks for reading!

Hate comes to The Gay Vegans

When you have a blog called The Gay Vegans you have to expect that not everyone is going to dig you. I get it all of the time. The gay part, the vegan part, the not vegan enough part, the smack from folks in different communities who just don't agree with something I have written about.

I'm used to all of that. And in many cases have had great conversations with people who I disagree with.

This morning I woke up to a nice serving of hate on our Facebook page. This is the stuff I don't like. As you know, we're in the middle of a two week dog and cat food drive for Animal Haus so we (us and our readers) can support those who are having tough financial times and need a little help with food for their companion animal.

I decided to use Facebook ads for the first time and had great success. The Gay Vegans blog was introduced to many people and we got donations from people we had never met.

Apparently our ad ended up on someones page who does not like gay people. He decided to post on our blog's Facebook page: "Keep your fag SHIT to yourself". He wrote more, in  acouple of places on our page, but no need to go into that. I was stunned. I mean we all have to look at Facebook ads that we wish we didn't have to. This dude took it to another level.

I was suddenly facing a reality that I had honestly forgotten about. We have a ton of readers and we get so much love, respect and kindness form them. We also get disagreement. But we don't get a lot of hate. Every once in a while we do, and it takes me aback.

I went to this gentleman's Facebook page and his first post was a photo that said something about hoping to be able to bless someone today.

I hope he's able to do that too.

Hate is a terrible thing. I write about it often. Only we have the power to stop it.

Thank you to all of you who have supported this blog. And more thanks to all of our readers who have donated to the dog and cat food drive!

And remember that you do not need to live in Denver to support the drive. You can make an online donation to Animal Haus at animalhaus.org . No donation is too small!

Thanks for reading!

The ugliness of hate

It was October of 1998 when I saw hate close to my community. It wasn't the first or last time, but was intense and horrifying. A couple of months after moving from Norfolk, VA to Denver, a young, gay college student named Matthew Shepard was beaten to death in Laramie, WY, a 2 1/2 hour drive from my cozy, safe apartment within a gay-friendly neighborhood in Denver.

I was shocked as the details of the beating of Matthew became public. Then a couple of days later he died in a hospital in Fort Collins.

To be fair, there is a new book about Matthew's murder that has just been published. I haven't read it. Apparently it's about Matthew's beating and murder not being about his sexuality.

From everything I had heard and read before I will find that difficult to believe. I'll let you know if I end up reading the book.

A year before I moved to Denver an African immigrant named Oumar Dia from Senegal had left the Hyatt (which is where I worked when arriving in Denver) and was waiting for a bus home. This was right across the street from the hotel. He was shot to death by a white supremacist who said to him "Are you ready to die for being a nigger?".

I had personally experienced hate and hate-inspired violence before. Oh, and hate speech. Fag, faggot, fucking faggot, fairy were words that had been yelled at to me in my past. Once I was out of the closet I was out. No more going back in regardless of how uncomfortable that made people feel.

One is not born with hate. One is taught hate. Whether it's hatred towards gay folk, women, people of color, immigrants... the list could go on and on.

I believe that hatred and hate-filled acts happen because someone did not say something. No one spoke up to say hey, your way of thinking is messed up. Someone laughed at a joke that wasn't funny. Someone used a disparaging word just to feel comfortable with others or to look "cool".

Hate is present in every community. You don't have to accept it or allow it.

Each of us has the power to stop it.

Thanks for reading!

VeganMofo Day 23: Tofu 101

This is Day 22 of Vegan Mofo, a month of vegan food blog posts, and this post is an introduction to tofu. Since I am not a food blogger, most of my posts for Vegan Mofo will not be recipes, rather experiences I have with vegan food and sharing people, places and things that have brought me and continue to bring me amazing vegan food.

Tofu. Just mentioning tofu can get a negative reaction. I've heard just about all of the bad things that could be possibly brought up about tofu: terrible texture, no flavor, it's just gross, soy is bad for you, etc.

I love tofu.

Blackened is my favorite. Blackened tofu sandwiches are just about my favorite food.

In trying to eat as diverse a diet as possible, I don't eat tofu or soy everyday. That is more about diversity with my food choices than anything else.

Tofu is a great source of protein and can be a main dish or part of a delicious side dish. It can even be used for scrumptious desserts.

One thing to remember about tofu is that it doesn't really have a flavor; it takes on the flavor of whatever you put on it or marinate with it. When I blacken tofu for my sandwiches, plain, flavorless tofu all of sudden becomes filled with flavor because of the blackening spices I use to cook it. The same thing with barbecue tofu; it's all in the sauce. When I make tofu scramble, it's always more flavorful the next day because the tofu has had more time to absorb all of the spices used in the scramble.

Texture is easy. I mainly use extra firm tofu. If I want it more dense I freeze it.

If you want to try tofu without preparing it at home, check out food reviews of a local Thai or Chinese for tofu dishes and go try one. In Denver, Little Ollies serves a mean tofu, especially with their General Tao's tofu. This dish is not on the menu but they will make it for you.

Tofu can be as good and as delicious as you want it to be. Grab a recipe that uses tofu form one of the food blogs on our blog page. Try it. There is an amazing tofu dish for everyone!

Thanks for reading!
vegandude@msn.com

VeganMofo Day 16: Vegan fast food

This is Day 16 of Vegan Mofo, a month of vegan food blog posts, and this post is about vegan fast food. Since I am not a food blogger, most of my posts for Vegan Mofo will not be recipes, rather experiences I have with vegan food and sharing people, places and things that have brought me and continue to bring me amazing vegan food.

Unless you live in a vegan Mecca like Los Angeles, New York City or Portland, having access to vegan fast food might only be a dream. Of course these days, with the popularity of vegan food and people overall wanting to be healthier, you never know where a vegan fast food joint may pop up. I recently heard that there is a Veggie Grill coming to Boulder, CO, about 45 minutes from us, and that would be awesome.

The type of vegan fast food that I am writing about, however, is vegan fast food in your own kitchen. For people who have just become vegan, and for some of us who have been vegan for years, veganism is such much easier if we become comfortable in our own kitchen. The more comfortable we are in the kitchen the better we are going to eat and probably the healthier too!

My standard go to for quick vegan food is beans and rice. In a skillet I take a can of black beans, add cooked brown rice (you can even use the instant brown rice, and some salt and pepper. I like cayenne pepper so I add a pinch of that. When the beans and rice are hot, I add fresh kale, spinach or Swiss chard. Done.

With leftovers, grab some tortillas and make burritos for later in the week.

Mike's version of fast food is his Chik'n and Dumplings. These are delicious and one day soon I will have recipe. I love coming home on a chilly day to the smell of his Chick'n and Dumplings. He basically throws into a pot mixed veggies, water and bouillon and tops it off with Bisquick dumplings. You can add Beyond Meat strips or not, depending on your taste. I remember bringing these to a non-vegan potluck with over a hundred people and a woman from Texas came over to Mike to tell him that his dumplings were perfect!

 This as leftovers makes a great lunch.

I have gotten to the point where I can whip out a great Tofu Scramble in under ten minutes. I've posted my recipe here and it works great for a quick, healthy breakfast and also for breakfast burritos for later in the week.

On the not so healthy side, grilled cheese sandwiches are awesome. Bread and Daiya cheese and you are good to go. I use soy butter to make them but you could use oil or nothing at all with the right skillet. Add some delish soup and boom, another quick meal.

We try (or I should say that Mike tries!) to make a great, delicious sit-down dinner every night, it just doesn't work out all of the time. Having quick options and a few things in the fridge for a last minute dinner will make life so much easier for you!

Salud!

Thanks for reading!

VeganMofo Day 10: Eat your veggies!

 
Eat your veggies! is my post for Day 10 of Vegan Mofo, a month of vegan food blog posts. Since I am not a food blogger, most of my posts for Vegan Mofo will not be recipes, rather experiences I have with vegan food and sharing people, places and things that have brought me and continue to bring me amazing vegan food.

NOTE: I realize that a post titled "Eat your veggies!" won't get a lot of reads. I still wanted to write it.

I remember those frozen packages of peas and carrots growing up. We had them a lot. And frozen corn. There were years that we had a garden and I remember being excited about my mom serving veggies from the garden.

I don't think I was one of those kids who didn't like his veggies. As much as I love sweets, I love veggies even more these days.

Mike has this incredible garden in our back yard. This year he is growing kale, Swiss chard, butternut squash, potatoes, cheery tomatoes, zucchini and squash. I love all of them.

Kale, who have thought?! I love kale. I have written about it several times. Whether in a smoothie or as a side dish sauteed with garlic, I could eat kale every day. Same with peas, Swiss Chard, spinach and, wow, this could be a long list.

Then there are those veggies that I am just learning about, like the purple bell peppers below. Yes. Purple.

I had never seen purple bell peppers before. I have this same experience at new farmer's markets, especially when Mike and I travel. Being vegan means we will never, ever be bored with food. There are just too many options.

I digress. So eating my veggies is not just something I do because I like them. It's so important, as a vegan, to make sure my body gets everything I need. Nutritionists say anywhere from four to eight servings a day. That may not seem easy but it is.

And adding veggies to any meal, or using them as the main dish, is awesome! Every vegan cookbook has a dozen recipes for dishes like this, and each of them bring a variety of flavors, textures and colors to your plate.

So go for it. And if there is a veggie that you just love, more than any other veggie, let me know!

Thank you for reading!