FamousVeggie.com's Celebrity Interview with
Jillian Parry.

1. Hello Jillian. I am so pleased to get the chance to interview you today. Would you please introduce yourself to our viewers and tell them all a little something about yourself?

My name is Jillian Parry and I am so happy to talk about veganism. I grew up in the northern suburbs of Philadelphia and I have three sisters.

2.What was your most memorable experience as Miss. Teen USA 2000?

My most memorable experiences as Miss Teen USA were visits to schools and also my trip to the International Special Olympics. It was amazing to interact with children and developmentally disabled athletes and to hear about their lives.

3. I understand you have been vegan for a year now. What was your reason for going vegan?

My younger sister Jessica had been a vegan for a few months, and my dog Honor got very sick. I had a long talk with her and realized how society teaches us to love certain animals as a part of our families, while others are tortured and murdered. I was heartbroken over my dog's fatal illness, and yet I was supporting mass animal death for human consumption. I decided that day to go vegan.

4.What (if anything) do you find hard about being vegan?

Being a vegan is easy, but sometimes people's reactions to my lifestyle can be difficult to deal with. When the topic comes up and people tell me that they just don't care about animals, I am destroying my health, or that they couldn't go without eating meat, it is frustrating. It is also a challenge when people try to argue the issues, but end up lecturing me and not listening at all.

5. What about family and friends, are they understanding of this lifestyle?

My family and close friends are supportive. Some friends are not as supportive, but most try to avoid the topic out of respect for my beliefs. I am very lucky because my sister and I go to each other for support when we get upset about people’s disregard for animals.

6. What are your thoughts on animal rights?

It is a disgrace that we consider humans to be so different than other animals. People think that our higher functioning brains justify our unlimited use of animals. I believe that our abilities give us a responsibility to the rest of the Earth, and so far we have done nothing but abuse our power. Animals deserve to live free of torture and exploitation. We are living in a time when there are so many alternatives to eating animals and testing on them, and the time has come for our morals to catch up with our technologies.

7. Do you have any pets?

I am not allowed to have any pets where I live right now, but as soon as I can I want to adopt a pig.

8. Are you a junk food vegan or do you eat health food? What is a typical meal like for Jillian Parry?

I try my best to eat healthfully, but I eat junk food, too. I love fresh vegetables and fruit, pizza with soy cheese, tofutti cuties, Subway Veggie Delights, and homemade vegan lasagna.

9. Word has it that you were on the show A Dating Story not too long ago. What was that like?

It was a very fun experience. I had the opportunity to go rock climbing with my best friend, horseback riding with two of my sisters, and then out on a blind date. I was lucky because the guy turned out to be very nice.

10. What are you doing these days?

I am currently a senior at Penn State University. I will graduate in 2004 with a degree in Biobehavioral Health. My sister and I are running the Alliance for Animal Rights club on campus. I am also a Peer Sexual Health Educator for an organization called HealthWorks, and I have a job working with developmentally disabled adults in a group home.

11. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview with us. Any last thoughts or words or wisdom?

If anyone is considering adopting a vegan lifestyle, do it! Trust me, it is the absolute best thing I have ever done. I feel more focused, responsible and spiritual. I am also much happier and healthier. All it takes is a little bit more effort when choosing food and avoiding certain products (leather and products that experiment on animals for example), but it makes a big difference for the animals, your health, and the environment. Stop supporting industries that use any means possible to make more money, even when it requires constantly torturing innocent animals. You will be glad you did, I only wish I did it sooner.