What’s queer about veganism?

As we say goodbye to Veganuary and hello to LGBT+ History Month, it seems a good time to ask: is there anything particularly queer about doing veganism?

The very fact that veganism and LGBT+ history both have a whole month dedicated to them in the UK — albeit with decidedly different backgrounds and aims — suggests that what were until recently considered fringe phenomena are becoming increasingly normalised.

There are obvious advantages to this. But going mainstream can come at a cost. Remember those fervent debates about the pink pound back in the 90s? Well today vegans are talking about the rise of the green pound. With acceptance and even celebration comes the marketisation for profit of identity and lifestyle. This may make things easier and more accessible for some people, while excluding others. For example, veganism mainstreaming, like gay rights, has sometimes been associated with racism and classism.

Not so long ago veganism, like queer politics, was belittled as apolitical, or at best seen as a soft political cause that distracted us from serious politics. By 2020 both are increasingly recognised as important issues. But again: at what price? Does the normalisation of LGBT+ identities and relationships, and the rise in popularity and acceptance of plant-based diets, take the political bite out of the movements that initiated them?