Despite the rise in popularity of vegan and vegetarian (veg*an) diets and the emergence of social media activism, ethical philosophies related to meat abstention and veg*an identities remain stigmatized in Western societies. The recent popularity of the practice of veg*anism absent its philosophical underpinnings can be attributed to the masculinization of veg*anism rather than to growing public compassion. That is, while eating veg*an foods has become more widespread and socially acceptable, being veg*an and claiming the identities associated with veg*anism remain disparaged. This thesis demonstrates this discordance by comparing the ways in which various entities, including celebrity Gordon Ramsay and activist groups Forks Over Knives and Farm Sanctuary, constitute their identities as either altruistic or egoistic in the rhetorical moment of disclosure of veg*anism, as well as the performance of masculinity and femininity in the groups’ social media presences. The findings of this study suggest that altruistic motivations for veg*anism are associated with feminine gender identities. In contrast, egoistic motivations for veg*anism are associated with masculine gender identities, and are more socially acceptable than altruistic motivations.