Interview
thinking it’s a day all for him, then he finds out what it’s really about. The message is about having a vegan holiday.
What kinds of reactions have you got to your books? The vegan community has been really supportive. As for people who aren’t vegan and are just getting used to the ideas, I’ve also gotten pretty positive responses. One time I was showing my book to someone and they said, “Oh, these books are about kindness,” and I thought that was a really good way to describe it. I feel that kindness is a really important thing that’s overlooked in school where it’s all about learning knowledge intellectually. But being kind to one another is the most important thing we can teach to make a better world. A lot of the time when people first go vegan they’re so outraged. It’s easy to be angry and judgemental. I definitely went through that stage. Eventually you realise that the ignorance of the individual isn’t the individual’s fault but the fault of society. I love Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, otherwise known as Joyful Vegan. She was a big influence on me having a joyful outlook on veganism and talking about it in a nonjudgemental way.
What is your experience of being a young activist? I think that often you look up to people in positions of power
22 | The Vegan Issue 2 2021
like politicians, but we should listen to young people too. We’re not jaded and we have some really important insights and wisdom. I recently found out that I’m on the autistic spectrum, and that’s something I want to spread awareness of too. I don’t think I would have been able to do all that I’ve done, and have the connection with animals that I do, if I wasn’t autistic. I see the world in a unique way, and I think I’ve done this stuff so young because I was so focused on it. It’s a really important aspect of everything I do.
Thank you for sharing. Tell me more about this connection with animals you have. I’ve always really connected with animals. We live in upstate New York, so there’s a lot of wilderness around. I’ve had a few experiences seeing owls where it was like the owl stared straight at me into my soul – those are metaphysical experiences for me. I remember looking out my window at night and seeing deer and thinking, “Why do I feel like I understand you more than humans?” Sometimes I feel that other animals are so much easier to understand. I think that’s true for a lot of people on the autistic spectrum. We don’t need to make conversation, it’s just a natural connection. And that’s what makes me want to be a voice for them. Follow Lotus’ activism at @lotusrkay and bearsforcares.com
