r/foodnotbombs • u/Left_Double_626 • Feb 23 '24

Increase In Meat At FnB Chapters?

I've noticed that every FnB chapter in my state (that I know of at least) serves some meat. Is this a growing trend? The last time I did FnB was over a decade ago (I'm involved in a non-vegetarian mutual aid group these days) and this would be unheard of back then. We would always thank people who brought non-veggie dishes, serve it, and ask them to bring a veggie dish next time and explain that FnB is a vegetarian project.

I understand the reasons people serve meat (we mainly serve homeless folks, and many of them like meat, don't wanna turn away food, etc), but to me it feels disrespectful to the legacy of FnB to call your group FnB and break one the few core principles. Why organizer under the banner of FnB if you don't agree with the principles? To me it's like starting an Anarchist Black Cross chapter and doing prisoner support for incarcerated cops, it's a fundamental contradiction. I've met some homeless vegetarians/vegans who sought out FnB here and were disappointed it wasn't "really FnB." I would have felt the same way when I homeless.

I'm curious what other people's thoughts are and how it looks in your region.

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u/texasnebula Feb 23 '24

I’m curious to see the thoughts on this, as I’m working to organize a food not bombs in my area, but I’m not vegan and I don’t know if that means I’m too in contradiction and should be doing some other kind of mutual aid.

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u/Left_Double_626 Feb 23 '24

I would talk with your comrades about whether vegetarianism is important to your project or not. You don't have to organize under the FnB banner, and IMO, if you're serving meat, you really shouldn't.

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u/texasnebula Feb 24 '24

What’s your response to this?

“As for the meat thing, Next City Over FNB does not turn away free food, including meat. They did say that at some serving they do vegan. But they mentioned that they didn't want to push veganism on the unhoused because it was kinda similar to Christians making people read scripture to get food.”

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u/Knillawafer98 Feb 24 '24

The choice not to read scripture isn't harming any other living beings.