Recently, I was asked "if most of your listeners aren't vegan, why wouldn't you want a non-vegan or someone transitioning to vegan on your podcast, can't they relate better?"
Here's why, I want my non-vegan listeners to hear themselves in my guests' vegan journeys, I want them to see the possibility, to think "if this person could do it, and their life seems so much like mine, I could go vegan too."
Another person told me they didn't think it was fair that I didn't permit non-vegans as guests because they had a vegan product they were promoting and they believed in the vegan message, they simply hadn't "gone all the way yet." They weren't yet vegan because they found non-leather shoes to be unacceptable in quality. Veganism isn't about our comfort or what we desire, it's a moral imperative, we put the lives of other sentient beings before our wants - especially when there are actually many more than acceptable versions available.
Did You Bring the Hummus is a safe, judgement free space for all humans, from the already vegan to the vegan curious, to the ones who think they hate vegans, but, it is also a safe space for the animals. I would never permit the endorsement of the use of animal products on my show, especially under the guise that the vegan version of something simply isn't "good enough" yet. We respect animals as sentient beings who have a desire and a right to life. If you had only spent decades walking in Chucks and eating vegan cheese even as late as the early 2000's, you would realize how much better the options are now. 😃
Others have encouraged me to have non-vegan guests because arguments always get more listens than civil conversations. That's simply not who I am, there are others much more skilled than I at combative conversation and anyway, that's not why Did You Bring the Hummus exists. It and I am here for those who have questions and don't know where to turn, for those who have met that judgey vegan and are now afraid to ask them anything, for those who have gone vegan but feel alone as those in their life don't get it, or think it's "just a phase." I want each episode to feel like a warm blanket, wrapping you in love, even when we discuss the difficult things.
Curious non-vegans, please share any questions about veganism you have below, if there's a topic you'd like to hear covered in an episode, share those ideas too! Vegans interested in being a guest on a future episode of Did You Bring the Hummus, please click here to fill out my quick guest questionnaire.