are there any Gay Lesbian Chef org. in NYC?

[SWoodyWhite]

Here's the thread on "Gay Restaurants." It wasn't that easy to find...

Thank-you, Pan. I appreciate the effort!

[Pan]

You're welcome, SWoody. All in a day's work.

[SobaAddict70]

Also if anyone has any other resources they could provide about gay culinary issues that would be awesome.

-B

You might look into the following then:

God's Love We Deliver

GMHC

Besides the issue of sexual orientation discrimination in the restaurant and hospitality industry, another pressing issue is the providence of meals and related services to individuals living with HIV and AIDS, both in the GLBT community and in the world. (I wouldn't qualify it as a gay culinary issue per se, but it is an issue nonetheless, and one related, albeit indirectly to the above.) Those two links -- in particular, GLWD -- provide resources for individuals who are in need of such, and also are a good place for help-minded people to donate their time.

Regards,

Soba

[Sleepy_Dragon]

Lesbian & Gay Chefs Association. No local chapters yet though.

Pat

[tryska]

y'all are gonna march in Pride next year, right?

[jeunefilleparis]

Well, there might be, but I can see how non-hetero folks in the industry might feel the need to get together and let their hair down, so to speak, and bitch and chill. Even though people in kitchens will follow up what they say with, "Oh, you know I don't really mean it," when they make anti-glbt (or anti-woman or anti-anybody) statements, it hurts nonetheless. That's why I have so loved going to WCR conferences: we could focus on the important stuff (food, drink, and cooking), and talk about how lousy the paternalism is, and how much better we would run the world once we take over.

i m not sure if this is off topic, but i ll say it anyway and it can be moved later if need be,

but at a certain west village restaurant where i worked for about 5 months, i was REQUIRED to wear heals. I understand having someone relatively attractive or whatever to greet people, but they actually told me that i was too short and that they wanted someone to be TALL. every day i would walk home barefoot. Mind you, every single waiter, bartender, busser, kitchen staff etc and the managers ( men) could wear flat black shoes,,,,,, but not me. the only week i could wear flat shoes was when the owner was away on vacation.

i m almost glad that i got fired from there,,,,,,,,,,,,

Edited June 28, 2004 by jeunefilleparis (log)

[jeunefilleparis]

If everyone who has spent time in a professional kitchen stops and thinks what it would be like to be gay and work in a kitchen, I think they could understand the need for a gltb chef's group. I can't count the times I heard anti-gay slurs in a kitchen. And, despite gay rights ordinances becoming more prevalent, fag-bashing is still allowed to go unchecked in our kitchens.

My suggestion: Is it possible for a forum to be created on eG for discussion by/of glbt chefs? I think it would be a "Good Thing".

I also think this is something for Nations Restaurant Association members to bring up as a suggestion for diversity workshops at the annual convention.

And my two cents: I would never have thought ANYONE wearing fish pants was a gay man. Maybe a lesbian, but definitely not a gay man.

We're here; We're queer; Have some kishke.

I have a friend who used to work at a very very high end French restaurant, I wont say names because, I suppose it could be considered slander.

anyways, the way the men spoke about women was beyond anything I could imagine. I have to say that, in a way its a good think she is gay because she could talk about girls with them instead of being hit on by them, though i know for a fact that she was "jokingly" fondled on occasion. She was the only female in the kitchen working on the line, - not pastry, where she started and worked with another woman.

Their kitchen also had a view of a private dining room and they would all make comments about the women dining there. Sometimes the owner would come in with an "attractive blond" as she put it ,a nd the jokes would not end.

Most of the restaurants where I work have been pretty calm, mainly bc one of them was an open kitchen the restaurant which kinda elimated crass talk, but whre i work now, some of the comments make me cringe and want to file suit,,,,, ughh

[chefpaula]

Lesbian & Gay Chefs Association. No local chapters yet though.

Pat

Thanks for the link Pat! We're working on rolling out chapters.

I'm taking an informal poll of who the hottest LGBT chefs are worldwide...

Any thoughts?

Paula Gray

Lesbian & Gay Chefs Association

[SobaAddict70]

The problem is, I can't think of any names at the moment, besides Christine Keff (Flying Fish and Fandango, both in Seattle), Rodney Robinson (Inn at the Park, San Diego) and Susan Feniger (of FTV fame).

Or it could be that I'm haven't raised my awareness level enough.

Soba

[chefpaula]

The problem is, I can't think of any names at the moment, besides Christine Keff (Flying Fish and Fandango, both in Seattle), Rodney Robinson (Inn at the Park, San Diego) and Susan Feniger (of FTV fame).

Or it could be that I'm haven't raised my awareness level enough.

Soba

Thanks for your thoughts, my toque is off to you!

-Paula

[Sleepy_Dragon]

Christine Manfield, formerly of Paramount in Sydney, Australia, now East@West in the UK.

http://www.christinemanfield.com/

Can't think of any on the boyz side at the moment... hmm.

Pat

[chefpaula]

Gary Danko in California?

[jschyun]

The problem is, I can't think of any names at the moment, besides Christine Keff (Flying Fish and Fandango, both in Seattle), Rodney Robinson (Inn at the Park, San Diego) and Susan Feniger (of FTV fame).

Or it could be that I'm haven't raised my awareness level enough.

I know there are plenty of LGBT workers in restaurants. On the other hand, I live in California.

Another celebrity guess, Elizabeth Falkner of Citizen Cake, SF.

--this might be another thread...

Edited July 14, 2004 by jschyun (log)

[Pan]

Great sig, Chef Paula!