Vegans Explore
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Words carry emotional weight, and "vegan" carries a lot of it. Sean A. Russell asks whether the word functions as a bridge or a barrier, and what that means strategically for a movement trying to grow.
The term was coined in 1944 by Donald Watson when he founded the Vegan Society in the UK, meant to define an ethical worldview, not sell a product. People resist identity shifts far more than behavior changes: "become vegan" reads as a total identity overhaul, while "try oat milk instead of dairy" feels manageable. That is why "plant-based" caught on, it describes behavior, not identity, and lowers resistance.
Some argue softening the word from vegan to plant-based erases the ethical core, since someone can eat plant-based and still not care about animal rights. But movements grow in layers, and very few people arrive at the deepest philosophical level on day one. The real answer: the word vegan is not the problem, unstrategic communication is. Sometimes the front door says plant-based and the deeper rooms say vegan, and that is okay.