Steak will be on the menu in conservative strongholds across Colorado on March 20, thanks to a proclamation from the governorâs 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,Ìę, is meant to encourage non-vegetarians to consider moving toward a plant-based diet.
When asked about the designation, Conor Cahill, the governorâs spokesman, said the office âgets hundreds of requests for proclamations throughout the year and rarely declines these non-binding ceremonial proclamations that get auto-penned by the Governor.â
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 Coloradoâs ranching sector and its defenders.Ìę
The Colorado Cattlemenâs Association responded by urging people to celebrate a âMeat Inâ on the 20th. âOn 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!â states the groupâs announcement.
Already, numerous conservative groups â and Weld Countyâs Board of Commissioners â have answered that call, pledging to hold cookouts heavy on the animal protein. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts issued his own proclamation, declaring March 20 âMeat on the Menuâ day for his state.
The backlash doesnât surprise CU professor Heide Bruckner, whose research involves the intersections of food and identity.
âMeat has always been politicized and meat-eating tied to a lot of perceptions of American identity and masculinity, especially here in the American West,â 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.
âThere is a large area in between that all-or-nothing approach that we really should explore,â she said. âRealistically, one day isnât 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.â
The governorâs office notes that Polis issues numerous proclamations each year celebrating the stateâs agricultural sector, including Colorado Ag Day, Farm Bureau Day, and Rocky Ford Cantaloupe Day.Ìę
But that has not stopped the criticism.Ìę
After word of the proclamation got out, several state Senators spoke out against MeatOut Day on the chamber floor.
âFor 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,â said RepublicanÌęÌęof Weld County. âStanding up for agriculture in this state is extremely important. It is the No. 2 economic driver in this state.â
While most of the opposition has come from conservative critics, DemocraticÌęÌęof Aurora also declared MeatOut Day a tone deaf move, noting that many of her constituents live in food deserts, where nutritious vegetarian options arenât available.
âWhen I drive down Colfax coming from Aurora, I see people begging every day for food. And theyâre not saying, âI want a carrot.â Theyâre asking for a dollar or two or some change so they can feed themselves,â said Fields. âThere is an issue as it relates to food insecurity in the state of Colorado. We donât have the luxury in this COVID-19 environment to say, âwe have a holiday where you canât eat meat.â It might be a good idea, but I think itâs the wrong approach.â