Aussie boy 'bullied' for vegan birthday party

An Aussie mum has received an outpouring of support from Australia's vegan community after her son's school friends refused to attend his birthday party because he's vegan.

Angel Craine sent out invitations for her son Malachi's party, but after two weeks had received no responses, while kids taunted the boy for announcing he'd be having a dairy-free cake at the Pokémon-themed event.

Taking to the Vegans in Australia Facebook, Ms Craine wrote, "My four-year-old son seems to get bullied a lot for being vegan. Apparently none of his friends want to come to his birthday if he has a vegan cake and are always being rude about him being vegan all the time."

She went on to invite locals who'd like to attend Malachi's party. "So I'm wondering if there are any people around northside of Brisbane with vegan children that would like to come to his fifth birthday," she offered.

Vegans rally around bullied boy

The response to her plea was overwhelming, with 12 children of group members committing to attending Malachi's birthday party at the end of October. Meanwhile, those living too far away expressed their support by sending cards and gifts.

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Ms Craine described her son's elation, saying, "He's super excited to make friends with similar interests and ethics," and praised the "caring" nature of the vegan community.

Bullying hasn't stopped

Although saddened by her son's bullying experience, the 27-year-old said she's proud of Malachi for standing up for his beliefs and not succumbing to peer pressure. "I am proud my son doesn't let the bullies get to him so much and is still so passionate about being vegan and loving animals," she said.

In an interview with news.com.au, Ms Craine claimed she'd spoken to Malachi's school about the bullying but the situation hasn't improved. "He still comes home since then and tells me the kids aren't being nice to him," she said.

Ms Craine explained that she transitioned to a full vegan diet last year for ethical reasons but didn't impose her diet choice on her two sons. Malachi, however, made the decision to become vegan in January after discovering what's in chicken nuggets.

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