Being vegan isn't just about food choices for Reeve Lazar. Instead, it's about making ethical choices, eliminating oppression, giving everyone a voice, living in a cruelty-free world, promoting peace and ending violence, he said.
As such, about five years ago, Lazar tattooed V.E.G.A.N. across his back "to remind myself that even though I might have a [bad] day, there are others begging for help and for their lives," he said. "It's allowed me to get into some great discussions with people. At the end of the day, it's about education."
Lazar has seven tattoos and is planning his eighth.
"I went vegan about 10 years ago because of what my eyes had seen when it comes to using animals for food," he said. "As a meat-eater, I never thought about how food came to be on my plate. It was tasty and I loved it. Then I stumbled upon a video of how dogs were skinned alive in China and used as fur trim. The dogs were still alive and were piled one on top of another until they took their last breath. From there, I started learning about factory farming, slaughterhouses, the dairy and egg industries, fashion industry and so on. The inherent cruelty is one thing all these places had in common. Cows, chickens and pigs deserve to live a life free from harm just as much as any other animal or 'pets' we call family."
Lazar wanted to be a pro wrestler when he was younger and is still hooked on the world of Hulk Hogan, "The Rock," John Cena and others. Austin Aries is his favorite wrestler.
"I started watching wrestling in 1980 when AWA was shown on local television," he said. "At the age of 6, I fell in love with Bruiser Brody, the Funk Brothers, Harley Race and Dusty Rhodes. I was hooked on the [good guy-versus-bad guy aspect] of the wrestling business.
"Fast-forward some 35 years later and I'm still a huge fan of the sport. The toll these athletes put on their bodies is unbelievable. I'm drawn to the storylines and characters in the same fashion someone would be drawn to watching The Walking Dead or Orange is the New Black. The ability for these athletes to do what they do 300-plus days a year is remarkable. Not many athletes in any other sport could do that. And yes, I know it's scripted. But if one can only talk about how fake wrestling is then they really have no idea what they are talking about."
Lazar has played softball in the Chicago Metropolitan Sports Association ( CMSA ) for 10 years and he's been coaching the Lucky Charmers team for four years. He also has played CMSA dodgeball and flag football.
"CMSA is a team-building exercise involving a sport or sports you love," he said. "It's where [LGBT and] straight allies can feel comfortable playing in a league that really doesn't care if you're great at the game or have never played before. We have leagues for all levels of play. It's a great way to meet people and develop some great friendships in the process. Finding the love of your life also has been known to happen."
THE STATS
Age: 41
Neighborhood: Logan Square
Background: Born at the American Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon. Arrived in Chicago when he was 4 months old.
Ethnicity: Middle Eastern
Relationship status: Married to Daniel Hauff-Lazar
Hobbies: Casino, fantasy sports leagues, working out, shooting pool
Job title: Branch Manager, Chase Bank
Favorite movie: The Sandlot
Favorite TV show: Survivor
Favorite drink: x
Favorite pro sports team: Chicago Cubs