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Masculinity and Veganism: Why Is It Still Controversial?

Why does ordering a bean burger still feel like a political statement for some men in 2026? Sean A. Russell traces the marketing that built that idea and makes the case for a broader definition of strength.

The Marketing That Built the Myth

For over a century, meat was deliberately marketed as power: steak as strength, barbecue as manhood, while plant-based food was framed as delicate or restrictive. The belief that muscle requires meat does not hold up against the biology of the largest plant-eating animals on earth, or against elite athletes like Lewis Hamilton, Torre Washington, and Chris Paul, who have all thrived on plant-based diets.

Tradition, Not Rejection

In some communities, including parts of the Black community, meat carries generations of tradition, survival, and status, so choosing vegan can feel like rejecting family and identity. Sean frames it differently: choosing plant-based is not rejecting culture, it is evolving it, the same way every culture's recipes and values evolve over time. True strength, he argues, is discipline, compassion, and owning a choice without apology.