You know that super self-confident guy, who can say anything he wants. And people will either agree with him or be quiet, because nobody wants to look stupid in-front of him and others. You know that it has almost nothing to do with what he actually says or does. And that the only thing that actually matters here, is his body language and tone of voice.

Right now you have this "problem", not because you are a vegan. But because you yourself believe that you have a weakness inside you. Like you mentioned, you feel like a tree hugging hippie. And guess what. If you feel weak, you sure will look weak, because your body language reflects everything without you even saying a word. And you know what else. People who talk crap about others (even if it's your friends), only do this to protect their own narrow minded illusions they live in. But as you became a vegan, you have already taken a far more bigger step than currently most people on Earth will never even dare to think about taking. So do you really believe, that a person who stops living in illusions, who decides to stand up and not go with the flow, is considered to be a weak? Do you really believe, that a weak person has the courage to think and act differently from everyone else around him, even if he is the only one?

A weak person would never come here and ask for help. He would just be quiet, cover his eyes and ears, and go back doing what others do. It takes a lot of courage to do what you do. Yes it does feel lonely to be different. But take anyone who has ever made a difference. These are the people who are praised because they thought differently, even if they are long-dead. So stop thinking like you have a weakness inside you, and start thinking like a leader. Believe in what you do, and you will be surrounded with people. This is not about veganism. This is about people who decide to become humans. It's evolution, and you are a part of it.