Kyle Borbiro McKinnon

Having been vegan for my whole life, I’ve realised how valuable and beneficial veganism is to all involved. Veganism promotes wellbeing, predominantly by not engaging in or promoting the harm of any creatures. Being raised vegan has caused me to value others lives and think more altruistically. As a young child, being vegan was easy; it made me more self–aware and a critical thinker, and it continues to benefit me in many ways. Most of the encounters I have about veganism with non–vegans are pleasant and informative for the both of us. Veganism has been nothing but good for me, and I am so glad that I was raised vegan.

The underlying principle of veganism is to prevent harm and suffering, and that is clearly the largest benefit to being vegan. The abhorrent cruelties and pain caused by so many exploitative industries simultaneously breaks my heart and disgusts me. I appreciate being raised so that I not only understand what happens in those industries, but I also don’t contribute to or support the incomprehensibly terrible suffering and exploitation of the animals in those industries.

I’ve been asked many times what it was like at gatherings and social events for me as a younger child and to put it simply, I wasn’t and didn’t feel isolated or separate from my non–vegan peers. I felt like a normal kid, going to school and birthday parties and playing with my friends.

Being vegan when I was growing up caused me to think more about why I consumed the foods I did, all the while still having a regular childhood. My friends, their parents, my teachers—nearly everyone I’ve encountered—have always been understanding and genuinely inquisitive about veganism.
The vast majority of questions I get about veganism are from my friends being interested in what I eat, or what I wear, or my thoughts on a specific matter—and I gladly answer them. A few of my friends have even become vegan in the year since meeting me!

All veganism has done is benefit me and I encourage everyone who’s reading this to learn more about how easy it is to become vegan and how good it is for the animals, for yourself and for our planet.