honey

I was going to post today about the concept of "ethical vegetarianism", but a mini-debate over at Vegan Lunch Box got me thinking about honey.

I know this is vegan taboo-land, and that vegans are passionate on both sides of the honey debate. Oh well, forging ahead. . .

There is debate among vegans as to the issue of honey: is it vegan? If it's not "vegan" then is it at least ethical to eat it? Many vegans will defend to the death the fact that honey is vegan; many other vegans argue that it is absolutely ridiculous to say that honey is vegan, because it's an animal product. Some vegans, as well, will say that honey isn't vegan, but sometimes they'll eat it anyways, or take it in their tea, or to soothe the throat during sickness, or as an anti-allergy medication.

Although I weigh in on the "honey is not vegan" side of the debate, I do see the point of the pro-honey vegans. Bees don't have central nervous systems; they naturally polinate our fruits and veggies and honey is a by-product of that polination; and bees sting you and are therefore not as nice as cows. I'm not being dismissive here-- bees really don't feel pain in the same way a pig or a chicken does, and many vegans feel that this justifies using them for honey.

Some pro-honey or honey-ambivalent vegans will state that public avoidance of honey makes vegans look like extremists. Maybe this is the case. I don't really think so. Why? Because I can't imagine this conversation ever, ever happening.

omni: So, let me understand you correctly. You don't eat meat, milk, eggs, cheese, by-products like whey, powdered egg whites, or animal-source mono- and di-glycerides.
vegan: Nope!
omni: You don't use leather goods, fur, silk, or wool.
vegan: No, none of those.
omni: You don't buy personal-care items with animal by-products or that have been tested on animals, which is essentially every store-brand I've ever heard of.
vegan: You got it!
omni: What about honey?
vegan: No, it's an animal product. Bees are harmed. And there are sensible and delicious substitutions.
omni: You don't eat honey? Whaaaaaat???? I was with you up until the honey. . . I was going to change my diet and lifestyle to exclude animal products after your logical explanations. . . but I couldn't live without honey!!!" (faints)

Does anyone else see how ridiculous the above conversation is? Does honey really make us "look" that more extreme? No, of course not. I can much more see this happening:

omni: So, you don't eat any animal products or wear or use them in any way?
vegan: Nope!
omni: What about honey?
vegan: Oh, I eat honey.
omni: Isn't honey an animal product? I mean, aren't bees animals?
vegan: Yes. . .
omni: (thinks) So, you're a hypocrite? What other vegan loopholes are out there?

I really think we, as vegans, need to stop hemming and hawing around the issue that we are extremists. In a world where we exploit animals for everything from clothing, to car tires, to food products, to beasts of burden, we are avoiding these things as much as we can. To the average person, we are extreme, honey or no. And since when does being extreme mean we should be embarrased? Abolitionists were extreme. Suffragists were extreme. Ghandi was extreme. I think living by that model of extremism is a good thing.

I mean, we're trying to live ethically and at the same time, not sequester ourselves in vegan convents. We must live among omnis, in a pro-meat/pro-enslavement culture. And we're saying "No! I will not eat a steak! I will not eat cruel, cruel eggs! I will not succumb to the charms of brie! I will not buy buttery-soft leather shoes because skin on my feet is creepy!" And people think abstaining from honey is going to make us look extreme? Puh-huh-lease!

And, slippery-slope precedent, big time. I don't want the term "vegan" to go the way of the dinosaur, or, for that matter, the term "vegetarian". Vegans who eat honey regularly? What's next, vegans who eat the eggs of rescued hens? Vegans who drink the milk of cows whose calf has died? Vegans who eat shellfish because oysters have no central nervous system? NO! A vegan, according to the Vegan Society who coined the term back in 1944: ". . . eats a plant-based diet free from all animal products, including milk, eggs and honey." I don't think they could make it any clearer.

Honey manufacturing exploits and uses bees so that we can eat their by-products. It's the dairy of the insect world. If it doesn't bother you, fine. . . but honey is not vegan, in my not-so-humble-'cuz-it's-my-blog-and-duh-its-an-animal-product opinion.

For the record, now that my rant is over: I'm not at all saying that if you eat honey, you are a bad person. I mean, I don't think omnis are "bad people" for eating meat and eggs and whatever, so I'm not going to hate on honey-eaters. I'm also not saying that, if you are a vegan who also likes honey in your tea sometimes, that you are a "bad vegan", necessarily. And, if you eat honey for health reasons, I would much rather someone with chronic allergies eat honey than take allergy meds (it really works: I can vouch. I can also vouch for the fact that when you don't eat dairy, you run a smaller risk of getting the allergies that would necessitate honey or meds. . . but that's another post). I am saying, I guess, that if you absolutely looooove honey, and eat it every day, and buy bottles and bottles of it, and keep your own apiary, or whatever-- you might consider not calling yourself a vegan. Beegan? Sure! But let's keep veganism for the vegans.

I also am just outright saying that the argument that vegans should keep quiet about our opinion of honey because omnis might think we're nuts: wake up! Most omnis already think we're nuts! Honey is not going to tip the scales! If you want to eat it, eat it, but don't come up with silly-ass masturbatory justifications. Yeah, I said it.

I know that insects are killed when the earth is tilled for my food, or when bugs smack into my car when I drive to work. This, in my opinion, is part of living on the earth. For me, being vegan isn't about personal purity. It's about reducing, and in some cases, eliminating, direct cruelty from my diet. Honey is avoidable-- eating and driving are not avoidable.

Now, I'm not 100% perfect. No one is. But honey has many tasty and cruelty-free alternatives. Where is the big deal? There are fewer reliable substitutes for eggs (especially in baking, cries the pudding-textued banana bread I made last weekend), but vegans eliminate them. I guess I don't see what the fuss is about, and how such an obviously not-vegan product could in anyone's mind, be vegan?