As much as tattooing has seen a sudden rise in popularity this last decade, it still remains fairly taboo in most milieus. What pushes someone to go against the grain and mark their body permanently? As you probably know, the motivations vary greatly from one individual to another. For some it is simply a question of esthetics, for others it is a way of marking a period in their life — but for many, it is a way to etch their beliefs and their passions into their skin forever, whether as a little forget-me-not, or to use their body as a billboard to express themselves, to convey a message, and even invite dialogue... and vegan activists certainly number among those with a dialogue to share.
I got the word “Vegan” tattooed on the back of my neck early 2004, and it serves exactly that purpose — I wanted it to be a strong affirmation of something that plays a huge role in my life and something I believe in deeply. I have been vegan for six years, and I really wanted to get a tattoo relating to veganism that would be visible; I wanted people to react to it. So I got a simple, but very bold design tattooed on the back of my neck. Although most of the feedback I have received about this tattoo and its placement has been very positive, I have found that a lot of people did not even know what the word vegan means. I attribute that partly to the fact that I live in a French speaking area, but also to the fact that vegans are still few and far between (though our numbers keep growing), and that veganism is not something that will pop up in mainstream media very often.“Those who claim to care about the well-being of human beings and the preservation of our environment should become vegetarians for that reason alone. They would thereby increase the amount of grain available to feed people elsewhere, reduce pollution, save water and energy, and cease contributing to the clearing of forests.”
 Plainly put, a vegan is a strict vegetarian. Not only do vegans not eat meat, they keep all animal products out of their diet. They do not eat milk, cheese, eggs, and any of their by-products (lactose, cysteine, gelatin, and so on) It is important to point out that, although veganism started out as a diet, today it has evolved into a full fledged lifestyle. Vegans apply their ethics in all aspects of their lives, be it by avoiding animal-derived garments such as leather, silk and wool, or by buying only products that were not tested on animals. Veganism is more than just a diet. It reaches out to a broad spectrum of lifestyle and dietary choices, and what motivates people to adopt this way of life can vary from one person to another. I believe it is safe to say that for most vegans, it is their compassion that pushed them to change their ways. Veganism is a strong statement for animal rights, and helps reduce unnecessary cruelty and exploitation of non-human animals. It is also a statement for the environment, since factory farming is taking a huge toll on the health of our beautiful planet by polluting the air and water, and destroying land. Other people may be interested in veganism for spiritual reasons, be it personal or religious (for example, Buddhists and Krishna devotees are often vegetarian or vegan). And last but not least, there are important health and nutrition factors that influence many in becoming, and staying vegan. More and more scientific research is showing a growing support of vegetarian diets. They have been proven to prevent many illnesses, such as heart disease. Veganism also keeps you from absorbing hormones found in dairy products and meat, which have been linked to all sorts of health problems. So what is the link between veganism and tattooing? Many vegans, such as myself, have chosen to get a tattoo to celebrate their beliefs. Vegan-related tattoos can take different forms, be it a simple script, such as my tattoo, or more complex tattoos dealing with animal rights subjects. But beyond choosing which tattoo to get, when the time comes to get tattooed, and to take care of a new tattoo, a lot of us will have to ask the question: Is it vegan? And unfortunately, more often than not, the answer is no. For starters, tattoo ink is not always vegan. It almost always contains glycerin as a carrier (the carrier is the liquid that the pigment is suspended in). Glycerin is a thick oily liquid that is usually obtained from animal fats and oils. Alternatively it can be derived from a vegetable source, but a lot of tattoo suppliers do not specify the origin of the glycerin they use, since there are no laws requiring the full ingredients list of inks to be released. It makes it hard for tattoo artists to know exactly what is in the inks they are using, (unless of course they mix their own inks) and many do not bother questioning their ink suppliers to find out what kind of glycerin is in their ink. This makes it even harder for vegans to know what to avoid, and where to look for answers. The company Stable says that their ink is “safe for vegans”, but few companies bother to make such claims. Other than glycerin, other ingredients in ink can be non-vegan as well, the most common being black pigment, which is often made from bone black (made by burning animal bones down to a charcoal). Avoiding non-vegan products within the tattoo world is not an easy quest. And it does not end when you walk out of the tattoo studio either. The majority of aftercare products sold or recommend by tattooists are not vegan. The very popular TattooGoo contains beeswax, as do most aftercare products that are advertised as “natural”. A&D Ointment contains lanolin, which is a product extracted from sheep’s wool. Most petroleum based ointments, such as Baciguent and Polysporin, contain lanolin as well, and are not vegan. Many moisturizers and hand lotions contain lanolin too, so vegans have to pay close attention to ingredients when purchasing a product to take care of their new tattoo. Having a vegan tattoo is not always a simple task, but a lot of vegans are marching on and getting vegan-related tattoos anyways. Since there is a dark veil surrounding the tattoo ink industry, it is not easy to know whether or not a tattoo will be vegan. Though some will ask questions and try to seek out an artist that can answer all their questions, others might look the other way and simply view it as a necessary evil, just like photography film for instance, which uses animal glycerin and has no vegan alternative to this day, other than digital photography. I spoke to a couple of people who have vegan-related tattoos to try to find out more on the subject, and see what motivated them to get something considered by many to be “extreme” tattooed on their bodies. I tried contacting more people for pictures and interviews, but unfortunately, many did not respond, probably due to the fact that a many choose to keep their vegan tattoos a secret, as you will see below.
Randy is 20 years old and lives in California. He is unemployed but attends college. He plays music in a vegan anarchic hardcore band. His hobbies include traveling and hitch-hiking, learning new languages, and getting tattooed. How long have you been vegan and when did you get these tattoos?
I’ve been vegan around two and a half years, and got my spine tattooed almost a year ago by Lindsay at Laguna Tattoo in Laguna Beach. I had my wrists done around six months before that.What do these tattoos represent to you, why did you pick these specific designs?
The Liberation tattoo is something I’ve wanted since I went vegetarian at age 14. At the time I wanted it to say ‘Animal Liberation’, but since then my views have changed and I felt it was more correct to say that I believe not just in animal liberation but in the liberation of all life. The font style is a tribute to Earth Crisis (a hardcore band that promoted veganism and Straight Edge) because of their influence in my ideological development. The script on my wrists was much more impetuous. I had been throwing around the idea of having the script scarred into my wrists, but I was a little uncomfortable with the idea. A friend I was with while on a road trip suggested I get the script tattooed in white ink. I liked the idea and had it done immediately, enjoying the idea that it would be low-profile, and yet still a very strong communication of ideal.What are people’s reactions when they see your tattoo? Is it ever negative?
Most people that see my back love the way the tattoo looks down the spine, but I sometimes have to explain to them what form of liberation it is referring to. Earth, animal, and human liberation is pretty encompassing, but it is difficult to explain to those who aren’t familiar with the terminology. But I have never had a purely negative reaction to this tattoo. The ‘vegan power’ tattoo, on the other hand, is viewed by some as a supremacist tattoo. I don’t care one way or the other how it is taken, but the struggle that a vegan undertakes to defend the Earth is one that takes (as well as gives) a great amount of power. But I rarely get that reaction to it because for people to notice it I often have to point it out.
I definitely plan on getting more tattoos that deal with Earth, animal, and human liberation, the desire for which is expressed through veganism. Almost every tattoo idea I have is political or in some way related to veganism, as this is the most important thing in my life and want it represented on my body. 
Sophie is 30 years old and lives in southern Ontario. She works in the financial sector, in IT. She enjoys photography, knitting, and rescuing cats. (Her name has been changed to protect her identity). How long have you been vegan?
I’ve been vegan off and on since I was twelve but this time it’s permanent and has been four years. I got the tattoo this year in the summer.Why did you pick the Animal Liberation Front logo?
It represents my struggle to fight for animal liberation everyday — in the foods I chose to eat, to the clothes I wear, to the products I buy, to the rescuing of stray cats. It reaffirms my commitment to veganism and animal rights. I chose the ALF logo because the ALF embodies exactly what I believe in: animal liberation.What are people’s reactions when they see your tattoo?
Only a few people know I have seen it and they are also ARAs (animal rights activists). So there have not been any negative reactions. A couple of people have seen it in passing (that are not involved with animal rights) and have asked, “What’s that?” Since they didn’t see it clearly enough I just say it’s a different version of the anarchy symbol.What are your reasons for wanting to keep this tattoo a secret?
Because the government (US and Canadian) will find any reason to track down, question and arrest animal rights activists in the name of “domestic terrorism”. I don’t want to give them any more fuel to their fire. Also, as of last year, I am “known” to them as an ARA and affiliated with certain other “known” ARAs. The ALF is still controversial even in vegan and animal rights circles. I find that arguing about the ALF with vegan and other ARAs who are against them a waste of time. It does nothing to help the animals because we can argue whether we agree with them or not until our faces turn blue, but it is not addressing the real issues here which are animal exploitation of any kind (food, clothing, “science”, entertainment, and so on).Do you regret this tattoo? Would you ever get more vegan-related tattoos?
No regrets at all. I would love to get more vegan tattoos, but more specifically AR related tattoos. I just don’t know what yet. 
Diego is 20 years old and lives in Mexico City. He goes to school full time and has two majors: Latin American studies and translation. In his spare time, he likes to play bass and travel. When did you get your tattoo?
I have been vegan for approximately three years now, although I was vegetarian for almost a year before that. I got the tattoo done in October of 2003, after about two years of being vegan.How did you choose the designs and location?
The tattoo represents something I believe in very deeply, which is animal liberation. I believe that all sentient beings have the right to live without pain. Since products obtained from their bodies usually imply suffering, and because these products are not indispensable for humans in modern societies to survive or even live well, the creation of these products is unethical. And I do not want any part of it. Animal liberation means that I will do my best to avoid having a hard in causing suffering to animals. Because of my beliefs in animal liberation, I have changed many aspects of my life, including my consumption habits (diet) and my interaction with animals in general (including humans).
Reactions have been very positive because most of my friends are vegans and vegetarians. It’s not a tattoo that gets seen much by people I don’t want to show it to, but when it is, they think it means something else. It’s not like people know much about veganism in Mexico — I’ve had people accuse me of making the concept up! It crashes so hard with so many of their ideas regarding life that they’ve been unable to even believe in it’s existence.Do you plan on getting more vegan-related tattoos?
Actually yes, I want to cover both of my feet and my ankles with vegan-related tattoos. But they’re going to be much more symbolic designs; I don’t think I’ll get any more lettering. I’ll probably get images of empty cages and animals, something more abstract. 
Caroline is 30 years old and lives in Surrey, England where she is an apprentice piercer. She is a self-described “anarchic queer” who has several piercings, tattoos and scarifications. (Her name has been changed to protect her identity). How long have you been vegan?
I’ve been vegan on and off for about eleven years with the odd relapse back to vegetarianism or freeganism (eating non-vegan foods whenever I could get them for free). I am now as strict as possible, and got my vegan tattoo earlier on this year.Why did you choose to tattoo it on your inner lip?
I chose the inner lip because it is a personal tattoo — the tattoo is a “self-commitment” — and people only see it if I so wish them to. The design is just stylized lettering, nothing spectacular.So you wanted it to be hidden from public view?
I wanted to be selective as to who saw it, but it’s more for me. Also, I wanted to experience having my inner lip tattooed!What kind of reactions have you gotten?
Most people are curious and demand to know the usual question ‘does it hurt?’, and I haven’t gotten any really negative comments.Do you plan on getting more vegan-related tattoos?
Yes, I plan on getting animal rights related tattoos. One plan of mine is to get a cartoon strip of actual video footage of my old hunting sabotage group in action! - Kathryn (iam:x k x)
Kathryn is a 22-year old Albertan transposed to Quebec, Canada, and currently works at Imago Tattoo Studio in Montreal. Online presentation copyright © 2005 Shannon Larratt and BMEzine.com. Requests to republish must be confirmed in writing. For bibliographical purposes this article was first published online January 9th, 2005 by BMEZINE.COM from La Paz, Mexico. |
