N4S

xN4SZINEx Issue #17/18 coming soon.

The system pushes poison.
The slaughterhouses run on blood.
The obedient call it freedom.

xSWENJAx from Germany chose another road.
No drugs. No alcohol. No cages. No bloody meals.

Vegan. Straightedge. Defiant.

xN4SZINEx -- When did you stop eating meat and what originally motivated that decision?

xSWENJAx -- When I was 11, I stopped eating meat. I did it for the sake of the animals & wanted to live a healthier life.

xN4SZINEx -- Many people struggle to change their eating habits. What were the biggest challenges you faced when you first stopped consuming meat and how did you overcome them?

xSWENJAx -- Actually, I didn't have much trouble with it. At first, I did miss eating fish a bit, but that feeling quickly passed. I no longer crave it, & - especially these days - there are great alternatives available, so no animal has to die.

xN4SZINEx -- What are some of your favorite meals to cook? Do you enjoy experimenting in the kitchen and what would you proudly serve to someone who thinks they could never enjoy meat-free food?

xSWENJAx --I love baking more than cooking. However, I enjoy cooking for my family & friends. Above all, I love cooking Indian dishes, such as Veggie-Thai-Curry with rice, vegetables, coconut milk & a vegan meat alternative.

xN4SZINEx --When and how did straightedge enter your life? What were the main reasons that led you to choose the straightedge path?

xSWENJAx --I was 15 when I got into the straight-edge scene through friends & concerts. I was never interested in drugs or losing control; I wanted to live life on my own terms. A close friend died because of drugs & that was a major factor too.

xN4SZINEx -- How important is being a straightedge to your identity today?

xSWENJAx -- It’s just as important to me now as it was back then. It means having agency over my own decisions, steering my life, not losing control & staying on the path to pursue my dreams. The sense of community & the connections within the scene with like-minded souls are also truly wonderful & important to me.

not everything that bends is meant to fall...

some grief arrives without a sound
it takes root beneath the sternum
and teaches the uncharted depths
the liturgy of endurance

N4S @ TRC Night, Dapo Bar, QC (06.06.26)

📸 Gabby Gabrielle