Ontario Officials Rule Veganism is a Human Right Legally Protected from Discrimination

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punkrockgoth
punkrockgoth Posts: 534 Member
in Food and Nutrition
http://theveganherald.com/2016/01/veganism-a-human-right-protected-from-discrimination-rules-ontario-human-rights-commission/

This ruling says that vegans are now a protected group. Hospitals are required to provide vegan meals and schools can no longer force dissections. This sounds reasonable enough, I suppose until you think about how most of the diets are like major religions these days.

What are your thoughts?
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Replies

  • kiela64
    kiela64 Posts: 1,447 Member
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    I think this is awesome. I know it's going to mean a big change at my school that doesn't offer any valid vegetarian or vegan options. There is a big connection with religion but not in the way you mean I think, that many Muslim and Hindu people I've met eat vegetarian or don't eat meat they don't cook themselves.

    The cultishness of freelee and raw veganism aside, I think that most actual vegetarian & vegan people are reasonable. I'm not sure what your concern is with diets being like religions. Or how it has anything to do with being a protected group. Unless you mean only religious groups should be protected? Which never has been the case.
  • punkrockgoth
    punkrockgoth Posts: 534 Member
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    I love that this means there will be better access to vegan options and make that mandatory. But that's because of my own personal beliefs and preferences.

    My concern about diets being like religions is definitely a slippery slope argument. I'm wondering how long it will take Paleos and low-carbers, etc to launch complaints that if you can't discriminate against vegans, you shouldn't be able to discriminate against other diets too. I dunno. There are differences with the vegan diet.

    So I guess more, I'm wondering how this will play out. How will it be enforces? How will other diet zealots respond?
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    I don't really see ethical veganism to be a diet like paleo or low-carb. It is an ethical attitude that goes well beyond diet. (I'm not vegan, don't plan to ever be.)

    However - does this need a particular protection beyond what is classically provided? Aren't vegetarian meals already part of the what you can get at ANY hospital or school?

    Don't see an issue with this ruling but wouldn't have thought it was necessary either.
  • myfelinepal
    myfelinepal Posts: 13,000 Member
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    Is it completely necessary?

    Are people holding down vegans and forcefeeding them honey?

    Are vegans forced to sit at the back of the bus?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    "The definition of “creed” in Ontario’s Human Rights Code has been modified to include ethical veganism."

    I thought California usually led the way with this sort of thing.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    yarwell wrote: »
    "The definition of “creed” in Ontario’s Human Rights Code has been modified to include ethical veganism."

    I thought California usually led the way with this sort of thing.

    California has a definition of "creed"?
  • yarwell
    yarwell Posts: 10,477 Member
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    sure does - http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CONS&sectionNum=SEC. 8.&highlight=true&keyword=creed
  • punkrockgoth
    punkrockgoth Posts: 534 Member
    edited January 2016
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    myfelinepal wrote: »
    Is it completely necessary?

    Are people holding down vegans and forcefeeding them honey?

    Are vegans forced to sit at the back of the bus?

    I didn't really think it was necessary either. but a university student decided to throw a temper tantrum because her post graduate research on animal activism was denied. She's in the faculty of social work.

    http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/ryerson-student-take-veganism-discrimination-dispute-to-human-rights-tribunal-of-ontario
  • auddii
    auddii Posts: 15,357 Member
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    yarwell wrote: »
    sure does - http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=CONS&sectionNum=SEC. 8.&highlight=true&keyword=creed

    That's use of the word creed. The definition is listed as
    beliefs, observances, or practices which an individual sincerely holds and which occupy in his or her life a place of importance parallel to that of traditionally recognized religions.
  • Bob314159
    Bob314159 Posts: 1,178 Member
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    Meanwhile our electricity bills will be the highest in the world due to the corrupt elected officials. Wait times in emergency are pathetic. Doctors' services are being cut back and they waste time on politically correct "issues"?
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,910 Member
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    EvgeniZyntx wrote: »
    I don't really see ethical veganism to be a diet like paleo or low-carb. It is an ethical attitude that goes well beyond diet. (I'm not vegan, don't plan to ever be.)

    However - does this need a particular protection beyond what is classically provided? Aren't vegetarian meals already part of the what you can get at ANY hospital or school?

    Don't see an issue with this ruling but wouldn't have thought it was necessary either.

    I agree that ethical veganism /= paleo, etc.

    Vegetarian meals /= vegan meals. For example, many vegetarian meals include cheese.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,910 Member
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    @janejellyroll @BecomingBane thought you guys might want to comment.
  • Last_mango_in_paradise
    Last_mango_in_paradise Posts: 48 Member
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    I think it's ridiculous to be honest. If they're going to grant that to vegetarians then grant it to anyone who chooses to eat a certain diet regardless of whether or not it's a 'religious' belief. Seriously, when will the new laws "protecting" people end?

    I think they should pass a law that "protects" those people who are gluten free and force schools and other places to offer gluten free meals and to cook in a gluten free manner for those who have a gluten intolerance. Maybe I should throw a temper tantrum the next time I'm out and get a law passed.
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
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    kshama2001 wrote: »
    @janejellyroll @BecomingBane thought you guys might want to comment.

    I find it interesting, and if it carries over to other countries, it'd make some things easier such as shopping for food or clothing. But, I'm not holding my breath for this to carry over to the US where I live.

    I have long held that my choice was a "religious" one and have explained it as such for many years, but my decision was based on the concept of sanctity of all life and not many peoples are... or seem to be in the current society of fad veganism for weight loss. I think it would be very difficult to legislate the difference in many cases.

    I see lots of arguments online, here and other places that seem to equate ethical veganism to paleo, etc... and I could see that comparison for people who were doing it strictly for dietary reasons... but ethical veganism is a different story, imo.

    I know several ethical vegans, and many who do it for fad reasons... but I've never met an ethical paleo person. Not up to me to decide whether that exists or not... but I've yet to meet anyone who ate paleo (or any other diet for that matter... not meaning to pick on paleo people) for religious or spiritual reasons.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    myfelinepal wrote: »
    Is it completely necessary?

    Are people holding down vegans and forcefeeding them honey?

    Are vegans forced to sit at the back of the bus?

    In the US, some people in prison do not have access to vegan meals. I'm not sure what the situation is in Canada.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    Last_mango_in_paradise wrote: »
    I think it's ridiculous to be honest. If they're going to grant that to vegetarians then grant it to anyone who chooses to eat a certain diet regardless of whether or not it's a 'religious' belief. Seriously, when will the new laws "protecting" people end?

    I think they should pass a law that "protects" those people who are gluten free and force schools and other places to offer gluten free meals and to cook in a gluten free manner for those who have a gluten intolerance. Maybe I should throw a temper tantrum the next time I'm out and get a law passed.

    What this new policy recognizes is that veganism isn't a diet. It's an ethical position on animal exploitation. It happens to be very easy to notice when observing an individual's diet, but let's not over-simplify.

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
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    BecomingBane wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    @janejellyroll @BecomingBane thought you guys might want to comment.

    I find it interesting, and if it carries over to other countries, it'd make some things easier such as shopping for food or clothing. But, I'm not holding my breath for this to carry over to the US where I live.

    I have long held that my choice was a "religious" one and have explained it as such for many years, but my decision was based on the concept of sanctity of all life and not many peoples are... or seem to be in the current society of fad veganism for weight loss. I think it would be very difficult to legislate the difference in many cases.

    I see lots of arguments online, here and other places that seem to equate ethical veganism to paleo, etc... and I could see that comparison for people who were doing it strictly for dietary reasons... but ethical veganism is a different story, imo.

    I know several ethical vegans, and many who do it for fad reasons... but I've never met an ethical paleo person. Not up to me to decide whether that exists or not... but I've yet to meet anyone who ate paleo (or any other diet for that matter... not meaning to pick on paleo people) for religious or spiritual reasons.

    I have met some people who, basically, eat a paleo-style diet for reasons that they would describe as ethical -- objection to modern agricultural practices (or objection to agriculture, period), anti-consumerism, etc. But to put it in context, these people aren't the ones who are ordering grass-fed burgers without a bun at the local Red Robin -- they're actually hunting their own meat, growing vegetables, actually opting out of the system that they object to. In that sense, I would say that an ethical "paleo" is possible if it's the expression of certain objections.

    If you just think that your body runs better without grains, dairy, and refined sugars, I wouldn't consider that an ethical position.
  • KANGOOJUMPS
    KANGOOJUMPS Posts: 6,472 Member
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    hmmm////// that's all I got/
  • DaddieCat
    DaddieCat Posts: 3,646 Member
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    janejellyroll wrote: »
    BecomingBane wrote: »
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    @janejellyroll @BecomingBane thought you guys might want to comment.

    I find it interesting, and if it carries over to other countries, it'd make some things easier such as shopping for food or clothing. But, I'm not holding my breath for this to carry over to the US where I live.

    I have long held that my choice was a "religious" one and have explained it as such for many years, but my decision was based on the concept of sanctity of all life and not many peoples are... or seem to be in the current society of fad veganism for weight loss. I think it would be very difficult to legislate the difference in many cases.

    I see lots of arguments online, here and other places that seem to equate ethical veganism to paleo, etc... and I could see that comparison for people who were doing it strictly for dietary reasons... but ethical veganism is a different story, imo.

    I know several ethical vegans, and many who do it for fad reasons... but I've never met an ethical paleo person. Not up to me to decide whether that exists or not... but I've yet to meet anyone who ate paleo (or any other diet for that matter... not meaning to pick on paleo people) for religious or spiritual reasons.

    I have met some people who, basically, eat a paleo-style diet for reasons that they would describe as ethical -- objection to modern agricultural practices (or objection to agriculture, period), anti-consumerism, etc. But to put it in context, these people aren't the ones who are ordering grass-fed burgers without a bun at the local Red Robin -- they're actually hunting their own meat, growing vegetables, actually opting out of the system that they object to. In that sense, I would say that an ethical "paleo" is possible if it's the expression of certain objections.

    If you just think that your body runs better without grains, dairy, and refined sugars, I wouldn't consider that an ethical position.

    I would definitely agree with that stance and that cause. Come to think of it, I know similar people. They refer to themselves as "Heathens" and live off the grid in all ways possible. Their stance is that society has failed them and they are thus forming their own. I can get behind that provided it doesn't harm others, and their method doesn't seem to. Their community is full of people of varying skills and crafts and they barter for all that they need amongst themselves... that which they can't obtain, they sell goods for.
  • besaro
    besaro Posts: 1,858 Member
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    this will not end well

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