Introducing the peta2 Advice Blog! June 26, 2008
Posted by Marta | Permalink | Comments ( 6 ) | TrackBack
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relationships advice
If you're anything like us, you're constantly looking for advice about the many different relationships you deal with in your life—boyfriends, girlfriends, best friends, parents, sisters, brothers, whatever! It can get tricky, though, when animal rights issues come into play with those relationships. That's where the peta2 advice blog comes in—we're here to answer your questions in a bi-weekly advice blog. Enjoy our very first installment, and keep an eye on the blog for future posts!
"I really like this guy but he refuses to listen to me about animal rights at all! What should I do?"
-Desperately Seeking Vegan Love
I feel ya. This can be a rough situation. Try sneaking animal rights into conversations. For example, say he says something like, "Cars are so bad for the environment! I wish people rode their bikes more." You can respond with, "I agree! And did you know that going vegetarian is better for the environment (and animals) than switching to a hybrid car? Really makes you think twice, doesn't it?" Or you can sit down and explain that you think it's unfair that he won't listen to you talk about something that's so important to you—find out why he feels uncomfortable. Maybe you just need to go easy on the brutal stuff at first and ease into it. Meet him halfway! - Marta
Animal rights issues seem to be a huge part of who you are. If this guy likes you then he should like everything about you—including your activism for animals! I agree with Marta—let him ease into animal rights. Let him get to know you, and your views, gradually. Don't forget that at one point you too were probably oblivious when it came to animals! If after a few months he shows absolutely no interest in learning about the plight of animals and seems to genuinely not care about animals or your views then I say ditch him and find someone who has a heart! - Ashleigh
What's there to like about someone who refuses to listen to you about animal rights? You think someone who supports cruelty to animals will be a fun date? Heck no. It's one thing if the person is too shy to go to a protest with you, but there's no excuse for total ignorance. Compassion = Hot. Ignorance = Not. - Pulin
Have a relationship question (that relates to animal rights, of course) that you're dying for us to answer? E-mail peta2@peta2.com with the subject line "Help me peta2! I need advice!" and your question just may be answered by us in our next advice blog!
And if you have any advice for Desperately Seeking Vegan Love, be sure to comment with it!
Comments
There is no use, some people are just ignorant by choice. Dating him will NOT be fun for you. Your views are obviously different and if you start dating you will see that there will be constant fights, bickering and friction between both of you while your talking or together. Forget about him, it'll be like being with your family members who constantly bicker about you being vegan, do you want someone u ll love to be that way? There are PLENTY of vegan guys out there who are already into animal rights and protest very often, like me =D.
Posted by: Eric at June 26, 2008 2:08 PMWhen I met my partner he wasn't interested in AR at all so I didn't mention it too much, only when it was relevent or he asked a question. Now he's vegetarian and even helps me out with some AR activism. So my advice is similar to Marta's, ease him into it and don't force your views on him. But I do agree with Ashleigh and Pulin too, if he doesn't care about your views then he's probably not for you.
Posted by: Little_Lotte at June 26, 2008 2:18 PMI agree with Marta's advice. I mean you really can't help who you are attracted to and all great relationships include compromise. Just slip the animal rights info into random conversations and see where that leads. Who knows you might have a future vegan on your hands.
Posted by: Allison at June 26, 2008 4:32 PMI know this guy who I really liked, he use to support leather and so I told him where it really came from because I know he didn't know because he was a total meat head (no offense to anyone but he was very clueless.) I told him about animal rights and how leather was made. He thought it was a big joke at first and so he laughed at me. After a while I sent him some e-mails giving him information on how a leather factory worked. The next day he came up to me and said that he was sorry for yelling at me saying I'm wrong. We are now every good friends and I am slowly getting him to be a vegetarian but like I said before he is a meat head and doesn't hardly know anything.
Posted by: Bonnie at June 27, 2008 12:50 AMi think if you just try and do your hardest to educate him then things will end up fine...and if not then the kid's so not worth wasting your time on. i know this guy who liked a little, but he was sort of a jerk when it came to activism with animal rights or human rights or ANY type of rights. anyways on myspace i posted this blog with the "meat is murder" video and a million other videos of animals getting slaughtered and just general information about how terribly animals are treated and all that. and next thing i know i get this HUMONGOUS comment from him about how ashamed he was and he's a hardcore vegetarian now, just like me. it surprised me soo much, but i'm extremely happy it happened...and now we are dating :) so don't lose hope for him! anything could happen- just force him to listen to you haha
Posted by: jackie at June 30, 2008 7:23 PMPost a comment
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I completely agree with Pulin's advice; you can do so much better than some guy who refuses to listen to you.
Posted by: Aneliese at June 26, 2008 1:01 PM