Just a venting: I always thought gender stereotyping is problematic, but I never experienced it first hand until I go vegan. When I first ordered vegan food in my school cafeteria, the staff looked at me weirdly and repeatedly asked me if it’s what I want, she said only girls order this kind of thing. After I told my friend I am vegan, he said, “It makes sense because you are gay”. This is embarrassing because I thought I am challenging gender role by being a vegan man, but then I am not masculine in the traditional sense, so it appears that I am full filing another kind of gender stereotype that vegan is feminine.

I hate it when people associate empathy with women, when it’s a very important human characteristics. Isn’t it misandrist to make it an exclusive feminine trait? In addition, people look down on you when you display femininity as a man, but praise the girls who act masculine. Even in trivial stuffs like clothing. I believe society just look down on femininity, so associating empathy with femininity will make society devalue empathy as well.