Coming out as Gay or Vegetarian

What is the difference and is there one?

Well, yes. Your sexuality is not a choice but your food, your clothes, your job all of those things is a choice. Your choice. For years we have been living in a society where you can dress in pretty much anything you like because – well it's your choice. I thought this 'rule' or social norm was extended to most things, if not all things, in our lives. I never imagined that in a world of meat-eaters choosing a life without meat was abnormal, strange, or even weird. Like I said – I thought it was my choice and I didn't think anybody cared, why would they? It was my choice.

Coming back from England where I had been in transition from meat-eater to vegetarian was a little difficult. Saying no to meat the first time resulted in a disappointed look from my mom as if I hurt her personally by saying no to one item on the dinner table. It took me six months trying to figure out what way I could best break it to my parents; that my vegetarian lifestyle was in fact something that I wanted to fully pursue. It wasn't a phase, and it wasn't going away. I had made a choice that was right for me and insync with my core beliefs. But having to tell this to my whole family, over the phone before accepting dinner, that I had chosen a vegetarian lifestyle, was difficult for me. Why? Thisfeeling of being outside the norm, despite our fairly tolerant society, due toyour choice of food, seemed strangely absurd in our time and age. How weird isit that it takes courage to look at your family and announce that you no longerwant to eat meat? Why was it so hard to say? When fundamentally it's somethingI feel good about, something that makes sense to me.

Unfortunately, I have found that the choice to go meatless requires a satisfying answer, like "because I find it morally and ethically wrong" isn't a good enough or even an acceptable answer all on its own. But why explain my choice at all? I don't owe society an explanation especially not so they can look at me like I'm the one who is wrong. 

Still, 2020 happened to be the year that I came out – as a vegetarian.