Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Gives Up Meat for Lent in Honor of Vegan Activist

United States House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is giving up meat for Lent and adopting a vegetarian diet, she announced on February 17th and will keep it up until Easter, which this year falls on April 3rd. The congresswoman said that she plans to adopt a vegetarian diet to show her support for the plant-based movement and asked her Twitter followers to come along with her.

Ocasio-Cortez explained that the death of Tommy Raskin, a vegan activist, and son of US Rep. Jamie Raskin, motivated her to subtract meat from her diet. Tommy Raskin on December 31, 2020, after years of activism dedicated to the betterment of the environment and animal rights. Ocasio-Cortez plans to remember this legacy through Lent, giving Tommy Raskin’s platform the proper recognition.

Ocasio-Cortez Goes Vegetarian in Honor of Rep. Raskin's Son

“A few weeks ago I told Representative Raskin that this year I wanted to adopt a vegetarian diet for Lent in memory of his son Tommy,” Ocasio-Cortez tweeted. “Jamie said, ‘ Well you’d have to do it the way Tommy would, which means bring people along with you!’ He loved the world so much and dedicated his life to reducing suffering around the world.”

The congresswomen asked her Twitter followers to join her in going vegetarian for 40 days, to share vegetarian recipes to help her, and if they do not want to adhere to the first to then to donate to or help others in a time of need.

This is not the first time that Ocasio-Cortez advocated for the benefits of meat and dairy reduction. She promoted the environmental benefits of minimizing meat and dairy consumption through the Green New Deal initiative. This focus will hopefully showcase the dangers the industries have on the environment as well as the health of the American people.

Raskin played a huge part in animal rights organizations, including Animal Outlook. His legacy will live on through the Tommy Raskin Memorial Fund for People and Animal set up by his family following his death. The Memorial Fund will distribute donations to organizations such as Oxfam, the Helen Keller Institute, Animal Outlook, and Give Directly.

With another congressional leader adopting a plant-based diet, the conversation continues to grow on capitol hill as it gains more attention and more traction.