Last Saturday, May 14, was our State Democratic Convention. I have to say I was completely disappointed. Not by the way the voting took place, or any other issues which occurred on the floor, but by the lack of a vegan option for lunch. The lunched provided were of the box variety, containing either salads, sandwiches, enchiladas, etc., along with a bag of chips and a small dessert item. It would have easy enough to ensure that there were vegan options on hand.
Most surveys show that the number of vegans in the U.S. is approximately two percent. With nearly five hundred people in attendance, it would seem to make common sense to anticipate a need for vegan meals just from a statistical standpoint.
The Democratic Party views itself as a “big tent” party that prides itself on inclusiveness. Many people adopt vegan or vegetarian diets because of religious, as well as conscientious, beliefs. It makes sense to make everyone feel welcome, regardless of creed, but this is, unfortunately, does not seem to extend to meal planning at Democratic events.
Vegans tend to be better educated, make more money and volunteer more time to their communities on average. With the demographics of the vegan community, I would assume that the Democratic Party would be welcoming us with open arms, but for some reason that is not the case. I think it is past time for the officials of the Democratic Party in Oklahoma to do some soul searching and determine if they can continue to exclude this part of the community from the Democratic Party.
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