Queer in the Kitchen

Interview with a Chicago-based chef

Can you share any personal experiences where you felt discriminated against based on your gender identity?

As a lesbian in the restaurant world, I am extremely accustomed to sexually inappropriate situations at work. My gender presentation and my sexuality are often perceived as a curiosity and sometimes even a threat or a challenge.

What forms of discrimination have you encountered due to your gender identity? (e.g., harassment, denial of rights, exclusion)

At work I have been excluded from social situations, ostracized by [typically cis straight male] coworkers, and relegated to forms of labor that are not typically within the job description.

Has discrimination affected your mental health and well-being?

Yes, a hostile workplace can be extremely detrimental to my mental health as work becomes a place that consumes large chunks of my time in everyday life. At its best, a work environment can facilitate the building of enriching social relationships.At its worst, such as when I feel actively excluded and marginalized, it can deprive me of necessary forms of human connection. This goes on to affect my life outside work as well, impacting my personal relationships and overall well-being.

Have you faced any challenges or barriers in accessing healthcare, education, employment, or housing due to your gender identity?

My gender presentation and sexuality have not barred me from gaining employment [to my knowledge] but often create tense situations once I am employed.

Have you experienced any instances of misgendering or invalidation of your gender identity? How do you navigate those situations?

My gender is not something I expect others [particularly workplace acquaintances and strangers] to understand, nor do I need them to understand it in order to be able to have comfortable relationships and interactions. However, assumptions about the implications of my gender presentation are often asserted in disrespectful and hurtful ways. This often leads me to dress more ‘feminine’ at work, hoping to avoid these situations.

Have you encountered any legal or policy obstacles that directly impact your rights and protections as a person with a gender identity different from your assigned sex at birth?

I have not.

Have you found supportive communities or organizations that have helped you address and resist gender identity-based discrimination?

Yes, I have a strong community of lesbian and other queer-identifying friends. Gender- and sexuality-based discrimination is unfortunately integral to the lives of most queer people and it is helpful to be around others who understand and relate to my personal experience with this kind of discrimination.

What steps have you taken to advocate for your rights and create awareness about gender diversity and inclusion?

I have reckoned with larger structures of oppression. and I understand that so-called diversity and inclusion as it plays out within our current system is basically meaningless. Accordingly I do not fight for awareness. I fight for the upheaval of our capitalist fascist government and a successful class revolution.

How has your experience of gender identity-based discrimination intersected with other aspects of your identity, such as race, ethnicity, or disability?

My experiences with gender-based discrimination have opened my eyes the ways in which other facets of my being [race, size, etc.] protect me.

In your opinion, what changes can society make to foster greater acceptance and understanding of diverse gender identities and reduce discrimination effectively?

People can [and in my view must] be taught to understand that all gender forms of expression are a human right that must be afforded to all.

About the Author

The interviewee is 43 years old and works as a chef at a high profile restaurant in the Lincoln Park area of Chicago. She is happily married and loves spoiling her dachshund, Mustard.