Steak will be on the menu in conservative strongholds across Colorado on March 20, thanks to a proclamation from the governor鈥檚 office urging just the opposite.
Late last month, word started to get out that Gov. Jared Polis has proclaimed the 20th as MeatOut Day. The day,听, is meant to encourage non-vegetarians to consider moving toward a plant-based diet.
When asked about the designation, Conor Cahill, the governor鈥檚 spokesman, said the office 鈥済ets hundreds of requests for proclamations throughout the year and rarely declines these non-binding ceremonial proclamations that get auto-penned by the Governor.鈥�
Polis himself eats meat, although his fiance, first gentleman Marlon Reis, is a vegan and animal rights advocate.
While the declaration has no binding impact on what Coloradans choose to eat on the 20th, the suggestion that the governor would elevate an effort to get people to say goodbye to beef, if only for a day, quickly rankled Colorado鈥檚 ranching sector and its defenders.听
The Colorado Cattlemen鈥檚 Association responded by urging people to celebrate a 鈥淢eat In鈥� on the 20th. 鈥淥n this day, CCA encourages Colorado to meet in a restaurant and order your favorite meat dish, meet your family and friends for a meal featuring meat!鈥� states the group鈥檚 announcement.
Already, numerous conservative groups 鈥� and Weld County鈥檚 Board of Commissioners 鈥� have answered that call, pledging to hold cookouts heavy on the animal protein. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts issued his own proclamation, declaring March 20 鈥淢eat on the Menu鈥� day for his state.
The backlash doesn鈥檛 surprise CU professor Heide Bruckner, whose research involves the intersections of food and identity.
鈥淢eat has always been politicized and meat-eating tied to a lot of perceptions of American identity and masculinity, especially here in the American West,鈥� she said.
Bruckner favors the idea of a MeatOut Day, as a way to introduce people to the idea that they can reduce the amount of meat in their diet without becoming a full vegetarian.
鈥淭here is a large area in between that all-or-nothing approach that we really should explore,鈥� she said. 鈥淩ealistically, one day isn鈥檛 radically going to shift perception, change behaviors or reduce meat consumption. But I do believe it can provide an opening for some to consider the role that meat plays in their diet.鈥�
The governor鈥檚 office notes that Polis issues numerous proclamations each year celebrating the state鈥檚 agricultural sector, including Colorado Ag Day, Farm Bureau Day, and Rocky Ford Cantaloupe Day.听
But that has not stopped the criticism.听
After word of the proclamation got out, several state Senators spoke out against MeatOut Day on the chamber floor.
鈥淔or our governor to say that we should have a meat-free day is the last straw. It's just one more attack against my county,鈥� said Republican听听of Weld County. 鈥淪tanding up for agriculture in this state is extremely important. It is the No. 2 economic driver in this state.鈥�
While most of the opposition has come from conservative critics, Democratic听听of Aurora also declared MeatOut Day a tone deaf move, noting that many of her constituents live in food deserts, where nutritious vegetarian options aren鈥檛 available.
鈥淲hen I drive down Colfax coming from Aurora, I see people begging every day for food. And they鈥檙e not saying, 鈥業 want a carrot.鈥� They鈥檙e asking for a dollar or two or some change so they can feed themselves,鈥� said Fields. 鈥淭here is an issue as it relates to food insecurity in the state of Colorado. We don鈥檛 have the luxury in this COVID-19 environment to say, 鈥榳e have a holiday where you can鈥檛 eat meat.鈥� It might be a good idea, but I think it鈥檚 the wrong approach.鈥�