If you’re unfamiliar with Reddit like I was, you might feel overwhelmed after clicking on the first result when you search “r vegan.” But don’t back away just yet! This online community of 1.1 million vegans has existed since 2008 and has a lot to show for it. Here’s an r vegan tutorial to help you navigate this extensive, grassroots-powered resource and get straight to the resources offered!
At the top you will see tabs titled: Posts, Wiki, Discords, Subreddits, Resources, Watch Documentary, and 30 Day Challenge!.
The home page (“Posts”):
Think of the homepage of /r/vegan like your Facebook feed. This page shows recent posts from members all over the world with vegan-related tweets, pictures of quotes and meals, funny Facebook comments, memes, vegan products, and questions posted to vegan reddit forums. If you’re interested primarily in one topic, you can use the box on the right to filter posts based on topic, such as environment, activist, uplifting, funny or health.
Wiki: Currently disabled.
Discords
Clicking on this tab will open the site Discord in a new tab and invite you to join. Discord is a free text chat, voice and video app that tens of millions of people use to connect with communities and friends over shared interests. To familiarize yourself, you might wish to watch a brief video tutorial. The vegan discord has a number of sub-groups listed on the left side, including groups focused on politics, advice, ethics, activist, health and fitness, recipes, fashion and beauty, memes and volunteering opportunities.
Subreddits
Clicking on Subreddits opens a “Vegan Cheat Sheet” GoogleSheets tab created by the VeganHackivists, a community of vegan activist volunteers. The group compiled a quite comprehensive list of resources about veganism organized by tabs on the Google Sheet:
Home
A list of some of the best vegan documentaries, inspirational speeches, books, resources for eating out as a vegan, resources to debunk articles against veganism, debunking protein myths, vegan news sources, vegan job sites, self-care resources for activists, vegan blogs and magazines, vegan recipe sites, vegan activists, support for veganism from reputable world health organizations, “go vegan” challenges, resources for new vegans, vegan nutrition guides, vegan cookbooks and more.
Studies
This page provides links to academic studies providing evidence about the benefits of veganism in reducing risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, increasing longevity and more.
Forums
A list of vegan subreddits and links to them, with topics including ethics/activism, environment, health, informative, fun/social, food and miscellaneous.
Books
A list of 167 vegan books addressing the intersectionality of animal rights and other movements, health and disease prevention and sustainability.
Movies
You may have heard of a handful of popular movies promoting veganism. But this list includes *106* vegan-related movies, with genres ranging from documentaries to adventure, animation, action, horror, drama, comedy, and musical.
Fashion
Ever wonder where to find vegan clothing? The tab lists ten quality vegan stores and clothing and shoe brands.
Podcasts
Here you can find 39 vegan podcasts, primarily those addressing the ethical aspects of veganism. To find podcasts and playlists by topic examining all aspects of health, environmental and ethical veganism, see Veganspired’s Top 10 Best Podcasts.
SHOPPING
Discover 10 vegan businesses run by vegans of color.
RESOURCES
Next, clicking on the Resources tab shows several drop-down options, including:
30 Day Challenge: This link takes you to the Vegan Boot Camp website, a project also run by the VeganHactivists. It is a free challenge program that offers courses in all areas of the vegan movement, personal guidance by registered dieticians, and the opportunities to earn rewards for vegan stores, vegan food services, vegan clothing lines and vegan e-books.
The Vegan Subreddit and Vegan Cheat Sheets tabs under Resources take you back to the same GoogleSheet.
Below, the Nutrition Facts subtab opens up the NutritionFacts.org website, a reputable source of evidence-based nutrition information free from industry influence run by Dr. Michael Greger.
The Watch Documentary tab takes you to a free streaming of the documentary Dominion, which exposes the harsh realities of animal agriculture. The Watch Documentary tab in the top menu, however, takes you to the site 3movies.org, which challenges viewers to watch three movies that expose uncomfortable realities and provides links.
The Get Active! tab takes you to the site veganactivism.org, which offers a Global Animal Rights Activism Map listing over 2500 groups, plus 32 organizations to volunteer for, 17 way to be an advocate in your everyday life, and a search tool to find vegan groups and events near you.
There’s even an opportunity to apply for a $1000 grant with VeganHactivists if you run a vegan endeavor.
The AR (Animal Rights) Social Network sub tab takes you to the first animal rights social network and outreach dashboard. The tool allows street activists to measure how many people they have inspired to watch a documentary, take a vegan challenge and even go vegan.
If you’re a vegan or vegan-curious, the online community and vast resources that r vegan offers is an abundant tool. Be sure to save the Subreddit Google Sheet for the next time you’re wondering what movie to watch, what book to read or what podcast to listen to. And, don’t forget to bookmark the Vegan Boot Camp challenge, veganactivism.org, the VeganHacktivists page and the AR Social Network to get active and inspired on your vegan journey.
