I have never made the decision to cut out fish, fowl or dairy, though I immensely respect those who do (I think I secretly want to be a vegan, but afraid I'll pine for Cote St. Luc BBQ).
I guess some might call me a hypocrite considering the genesis of my "white meat only" decision. What's the difference between a cow or a chicken being slaughtered? None really, but I've obviously swaddled myself in some form of ignorant bliss all these years. I'll admit it. And I bet I'm not the only one. I think we'd think differently about that slab of meat if it didn't come already cleaned and tidily sealed on a square of styrofoam. When it's all packaged up like that, it looks a lot less...well, breathe-y.
A few months ago, I was asked to host Montreal's World Vegan Fashion Show on November 1st. The first thing I said was "I want an airstream trailer and a fruit platter!" The second thing I said was, "But I'm not a vegan!".
Then I found out that every last penny from the event this year is going to the SPCA's fight against puppy mills in Quebec. It's a passion of mine. I have a puppy mill dog myself and I've volunteered in the wake of several puppy mill seizures over the past year. I've seen first hand the cruelty that is often leveled against innocent animals in the name of profit. I've been outraged by the shoddy enforcement of punishment for offenders. So anything I can do to help that cause, I will.
If you think about it, what better crowd would vegans want to attract to such an event than meat eaters? After all, this is the demographic that vegans are aiming to inform! I've heard the arguments in favour of veganism and I gotta tell ya, they all seem pretty sound to me. Feeling better, looking better, improving overall health. And then there's the environmental impact - some say factory farming is the single largest threat to global warming (clear cutting for farms, methane gas, slaughterhouse emissions). When you hear that all that grain being fed to cattle could be feeding the world's hungry, it kinda makes you think.
The night is not to shove some extremist animal rights mandate down your throat. No one's gonna throw red paint on you. In fact, it's not even entirely about veganism, per se. It's about cruelty-free alternatives as a general rule. To demonstrate that there ARE alternatives to the way we live. Easy, accessible, beautiful, environmentally-friendly and cruelty-free alternatives! Whether you make the choice to not wear fur or leather. Whether you buy cruelty-free make-up. Whether you replace milk with soy. There are small things we can do every day to make our world a better place for all it's living creatures. You don't have to change your entire life, just how you think about spending your dollar.
It's going to be a fun night of fashion, food, music and fun! Georges Laraque from the Habs will be there (he's an NHL star and a proud vegan), Lucy Decoutere and Sarah E. Dunsworth from The Trailer Park Boys and Brad Pattison from the Slice TV show "At The End of My Leash" (Brad has rescued stray dogs in Mexico and after Hurricane Katrina). There will also be a silent auction onsite with a ton of great stuff to bid on (think holiday shopping!) and you'll get to sample some delicious vegan cuisine! And you can be secure in knowing that every dime you spent is going to a great cause. So come on out - hope to see you there (even if you eat a hamburger beforehand).
WHAT: The Montreal World Vegan Day Fashion Show (and silent auction!)
WHY: The purpose of this event is to raise awareness of animal protection issues, while promoting cutting edge cruelty-free fashion and raising funds for charity. This year proceeds will go to benefit the SPCA fight against puppy mills.
WHO: Companies like Macbeth footwear, Lady Crossbones, Pretty Things Boutique, Healing Heart Designs, Cherry Berry and more! Canadian Celebrities Georges Laraque from the NHL team the Montreal Canadiens, Lucy Decoutere and Sarah E. Dunsworth from the Showcase television show Trailer Park Boys will be a part of the fashion show, and all doing their part to show their support for animals.
WHERE: LaTulipe, 4530 Papineau
WHEN: November 1st
TICKETS:
Students 20.00$ (25$ at the door)
Adults 30.00$ (35$ at the door)
Doors open at 7:00pm
*Ticket includes gourmet thai cuisine from ChuChai and caterer Marie-Genevieve Lamothe.
TICKET ARE ON SALE NOW, RIGHT HERE:
http://www.admission.com/html/artist.htmI?l=EN&artist=2009+WORLD+VEGAN+FASHION+SHOW
For more info, click:
http://montrealworldveganday.com/
