Ever speed dated? It’s not for the faint of heart in the best of circumstances. Trying to get to know if you’re interested in someone in 3 minutes can be daunting. Add to that the necessity of wasting most of the evening having annoying conversations with unrepentant carnivores, and even the most intrepid vegan might think there is a better way to find true love.
Of course there are several theories on vegan dating. As Jasmin has pointed in out in her “vegan sexuality” guest blog for Crazy Sexy Life, there are arguments in favor of the dating-as-a-recruitment-tool theory, so the more carnivores (at least the ones with a possibility of transformation) on your dance card, the better, and arguments in favor of the why-would-I-date-someone-who-doesn’t-understand-the-best-part-of-me? school. But regardless of your theory, no one should have to stoop to dating someone who doesn’t at least respect your decision to eat compassionately.
Veggie Love
Well, if you are heterosexual and in California’s Bay Area (of course!) you will have the opportunity on August 3 to speed date without wasting any of your precious 3 minute sessions sniffing for meat breath and wondering whether to mention your strong feelings about gestation crates. Organized by event-planner Karine Brighten, Veg Speed Dating, which will be open to vegans, vegetarians and the veg-curious, will allow participants to separate the dating wheat from the chaff without any possibility of bacon jokes. Love is definitely in the air.
So is advocacy, since putting together this kind of fun event is also a community-building, love-building undertaking. I’ve got to hand it to Karine Brighten, whose company, Karine Brighten Events, specializes in eco-friendly “green” happenings. I love that she saw an opportunity here to fill a void, and decided to use her skills to cater to the veg community. Now, all we need is the queer variety of Veg Speed Dating (not that I’m in the market).