I won't go near the comparison to one's sexual preference, to another voluntary dietary habits.

But, you're not wrong. If this was something that was super important to me and life affecting, then you are completely right.

Now, as someone who is just trying to not eat meat for personal and whatever reasons, that's not how you get people into your cause. I am not bound to it, and the perception of the community is something i get to have liberty with.

How about "well, it's not an animal. not bad". Not being me with my kid hearing that her favorite burger patty (the impossible one) is a waste of money and an embarrassment to the real vegans in the middle of the safeway by a random asshole stranger, who had the after thought to explain how tofu is better totally not noticing that his very life is in danger.

It was a joke Mark. A Christmas joke.