DEAR HARRIETTE: I've wanted to become vegan for a few years now, but I still live in my parents' home. My mom has made it clear that she won't cook vegan, but she also gets offended when I say I would make my own meals. She thinks dinnertime is a bonding experience and somehow me choosing to not eat animal products would hinder it. I don't get her perspective, but it's gotten to the point where I'm ready to proceed to veganism even if she disapproves. What should I do? -- Parents Disapprove of Veganism

DEAR PARENTS DISAPPROVE OF VEGANISM: Changing your eating habits while living at home can be extremely difficult. Somehow your choices probably make your mother feel that you are rejecting the food she makes for you. While that is true, in a way, your choice to become vegan is not about her -- it is about you. That's what you need to get across to her. Tell her how much you appreciate her, and assure her that your choice today is not an indictment of her cooking. Point out the foods she cooks that you can eat so she can see that you are not rejecting everything.

Offer to work in the kitchen side by side so that you can enjoy each other's company. Show her that your new eating plan is not a threat to her. Continue to eat together. This will show your mother that dinner remains a special time for all.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm bisexual, and my hometown friends are all openly homophobic. I keep defending LGBTQ+ rights in the group chat, and they make fun of me for it. The environment makes me feel really unsafe, so I haven't told them about my sexuality. Each day, I'm feeling more and more tempted to just drop them and move on. I don't think I can mentally handle knowing they don't accept me. Is it too rash? -- Experiencing Homophobia

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