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2.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg:0.9375rem 1.875rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg:0 1.875rem;}}</style><div class="css-mktybr exadjwu4"><style data-emotn="css 6bdp5f">{font-fay:GTWalsheim,Helveti,sans-serif;font-weight:bold;grid-lumn:1/-1;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-top:0.9375rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.75rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:2.625rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:3.125rem;le-height:1.1;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{font-size:3.125rem;le-height:1.1;}}</style><h1 class="css-6bdp5f exadjwu10"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span>'Top Chef' Gave Queer Women a Platform Before It Was Cool<span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></h1><style data-emotn="css 1cgvs9y">{font-fay:GTWalsheim,Helveti,sans-serif;font-weight:normal;marg-bottom:0.625rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.0625rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.25rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.5rem;le-height:1.2;}} a{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;} a:hover{lor:#B20B16;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><div class="css-1cgvs9y exadjwu8"><p>The long-nng realy okg petn seri has showsed queer women sce 2006. So why don't we talk about more?</p></div><style data-emotn="css 1yvxpqj">{marg-bottom:0.625rem;paddg-right:0.3125rem;font-fay:GTWalsheim,Helveti,sans-serif;font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1;letter-spacg:0.05em;text-transform:upperse;} span{le-height:1.6;}</style><div class="css-1yvxpqj exadjwu7"><style data-emotn="css ku2dj9">{font-style:normal;paddg-right:0.3125rem;font-fay:GTWalsheim,Helveti,sans-serif;font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1;letter-spacg:0.05em;text-transform:upperse;}</style><addrs class="css-ku2dj9 ehvvd9m2"><style data-emotn="css 6ywij2">{paddg-right:0.3125rem;font-fay:GTWalsheim,Helveti,sans-serif;font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1;letter-spacg:0.05em;text-transform:upperse;}</style><span class="css-6ywij2 ehvvd9m1">By Mariella Mosthof</span><style data-emotn="css w0ebia">{display:le-block;text-transform:upperse;marg-left:0.625rem;}</style><time class="css-w0ebia exadjwu6">Published: Mar 19, 2020</time></addrs></div></div></div></hear><style data-emotn="css k008qs">{display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;}</style><div class="css-k008qs ewisyje0"><style data-emotn="css 7ce51e">{marg-bottom:0.9375rem;posn:relative;}@media(max-width: 64rem){{max-width:lc(100vw - (1rem * 2));marg-left:1rem;marg-right:1rem;} .e152u5os0{width:100vw;marg-left:lc(-1 * 1rem);}}@media(m-width: 48rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){{marg-left:to;marg-right:to;} .e152u5os0{width:100vw;marg-left:lc((100vw - (lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem) - 2 * 1rem)) / -2);}}@media(m-width: 61.25rem) and (max-width: 90rem){{max-width:lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem);marg-left:lc((100vw - lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem) - 1rem - 20.625rem) / 2);paddg-left:1rem;paddg-right:1rem;} .e152u5os0{width:100vw;marg-left:lc(lc((100vw - lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem) - 1rem - 20.625rem) / -2) - 1rem);}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{marg-left:lc((100vw - lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem)) / 2);max-width:lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem);paddg-left:1rem;paddg-right:1rem;} .e152u5os0{width:100vw;marg-left:lc(lc((100vw - lc(20.625rem * 2 + 1rem)) / -2) - lc(2 * 1rem));}[data-has-sponsor] {marg-left:lc((100vw - lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem)) / 4);marg-right:lc((100vw - lc(20.625rem * 2 - 1rem)) / 4);}}</style><div class="standard-ntaer ntent-ntaer article-ntaer css-7ce51e ewisyje3"><style data-emotn="css trzem2">{jtify-self:center;posn:relative;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{marg-left:-50vw;marg-right:-50vw;width:100vw;left:50%;right:50%;}}</style><div class="ntent-lead css-trzem2 ewisyje6"><style data-emotn="css sm2oir">{height:to;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{marg:to lc(50% - 50vw);}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{marg:to;}}</style><div class="ntent-lead-image css-sm2oir e5f9kgu2"><style data-emotn="css eag3eq">{posn:relative;height:to;}</style><div class="css-eag3eq e5f9kgu1"><style data-emotn="css 335qep">{posn:relative;width:100%;height:100%;object-f:ver;vertil-align:top;}</style><img fetchPrry="high" alt="Top Chef" tle="Top Chef Gave Queer Women a Platform Before It Was Cool" width="2400" height="1200" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-335qep exi4f7p0" /></div><style data-emotn="css 285vyd">{le-height:1;}@media(max-width: 73.75rem){{paddg-left:0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg-left:0;}}</style><figptn class="css-285vyd enfs9c50"><style data-emotn="css pejqtf">{lor:#595959;paddg-right:0.3125rem;font-fay:GTWalsheim,Helveti,sans-serif;font-size:0.70003rem;le-height:1;letter-spacg:0.05em;text-transform:upperse;}</style><span class="css-pejqtf e6iqd2">Amber Hawks/Bravo </span></figptn></div></div><style data-emotn="css z6i669">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;posn:relative;}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:3.5rem;paddg-right:3.5rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem) and (max-width: 61.25rem){{max-width:45.25rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;}}@media(m-width: 61.25rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem) and (max-width: 100rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;paddg-right:0rem;}} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}{clear:both;ntent:" ";display:block;font-size:0.7rem;le-height:1.5rem;height:0rem;visibily:hidn;}</style><div class="article-body-ntent article-body standard-body-ntent css-z6i669 ewisyje7"><style data-emotn="css 18vfmjb">{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-size:1.1875rem;le-height:1.6;} em{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-style:alic;} strong{font-fay:Charter,Geia,Tim,Serif;font-weight:bold;}</style><p data-no-id="0" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">In 2009, smack the middle of a protracted natnwi bate over same-sex marriage, <em>Top Chef: Las Vegas</em> nttant Ashley Merriman fumed about terg a jot bachelor/bachelorette party. "I fd beyond prehensn makg go do what is effectively a weddg challenge when at least three of on the challenge aren't allowed that stutn," Merriman said, referrg to herself and two other gay nttants participatg that season. </p><p data-no-id="1" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">It would be six more years before the Supreme Court stck down all state bans on same-sex marriage, but Bravo, <em>Top Chef's</em> home work, had been cultivatg a slate of LGBTQ-forward programmg for the better part of a . Realy shows starrg queer women were srce when <em>Top Chef</em> — which predat even MTV's <em>A Shot at Love Wh Tila Tequila</em> — first premiered 2006. But the Emmy Award-wng seri has st between one and three queer women on nearly every season of s 14-year history.</p><style data-emotn="css 8c6v">{posn:absolute;left:-10000px;top:to;width:1px;height:1px;overflow:hidn;}</style><div data-ad-exclu class="css-8c6v ehha8ut0">This ntent is imported om youTube. 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a0gows">{opacy:0.8;-webk-transn:opacy .25s cubic-bezier(0,0,0.2,1);transn:opacy .25s cubic-bezier(0,0,0.2,1);}.e1f7ylgd6:hover {opacy:1;}</style><img data-dynamic-svg src="/_assets/sign-tokens/e/static/ins/social/;sendary=%2523ffffff" loadg="lazy" alt="youtube in" width="68" height="68" class="css-a0gows e1f7ylgd3" /></button><style data-emotn="css 157wciq">{width:100%;height:100%;object-f:ver;cursor:poter;}</style><style data-emotn="css g939jb">{width:100%;height:100%;object-f:ver;cursor:poter;}</style><img alt="This is an image" tle="Vio player poster image" loadg="lazy" width="2000" height="1000" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="e1f7ylgd5 css-g939jb exi4f7p0" /></div></div></div><p data-no-id="3" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">And wasn't jt fay-iendly battl for same-sex marriage the show picted, eher — <em>Top Chef</em> was nversatn wh queer sexual liberatn, too, om s very first season San Francis. In the send episo, which aired 2006, gut judge Elizabeth Falkner sports a cht harns, a leather vt, and a not signifint amount of butch eyeler for an elimatn challenge staged a fetish shop. Conttant Tiffani Faison, who go on to bee the season one nner-up, mentns beg faiar wh Falkner bee they were both featured the same magaze article about queer women the kchen. She signed for her ssert a handma fortune okie stng onto choker necklac, tend to functn as a cisg ai for party guts. The episo's overt engagement wh queer kk, leather, and BDSM culture is unniable, and yet <em>Top Chef</em> is routely overlooked morn queer reprentatn disurse. </p><p data-no-id="4" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">This week, the seri returns for s send eratn of <em>Top Chef: All-Stars</em> wh three of s most memorable queer nttants: Lisa Fernans (Season 4), Melissa Kg (Season 12), and Karen Akunowicz (Season 13).</p><p data-no-id="5" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">"My inty is a big part of who I am," says Fernans, currently chef/owner of Sweet Chili Brooklyn. "I am obvly very, very out and very, very gay. But I also want to make queer people aware that my rtrant is a space for them. We've been hostg a lot of queer women and nonbary dners and mixers."</p><p data-no-id="6" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">"We jt want to ph that muny feel," she adds.</p><p data-no-id="7" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Fernans was somethg of a third wheel on <em>Top Chef: Chigo</em>, which also clud lbian uple Jennifer Bity and Zoi Antonsas petg agast each other. But she managed to break ee om the pack and ok her way to the fale Puerto Ri, fishg third place behd Stephanie Izard and Richard Blais. Now, eply vted lol muny work, Fernans hop her rtrant n bee a dited and welg hub. Her staff skews heavily queer and female, and she remas aware of the enomic barriers facg her margalized clientele. </p><p data-no-id="8" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Fancial accsibily, she says, is prrized: "It's not expensive. It's not gimmicky. I want to create an environment that's gay as hell, but where you're also gettg amazg food and drks." Brastormg ias for queer weddgs and queer bar mzvahs ("well, maybe 's a ltle small for a bar mzvah"), Fernans entreati Kg and Akunowicz to e to Brooklyn and host "the gayt dner ever."</p><p data-no-id="9" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">San Francis-based Kg, meanwhile, has succsfully nverted her <em>Top Chef</em> fame and knack for Instagram to queer fluencer stat, lnchg her own pany for culary and brand partnerships. "Before I went on <em>Top Chef</em>, I was only really out to my immediate fay," she nfs. "To go om that to a uple years later, beg a Levi's Pri mpaign? I was jt so proud of myself." For Kg, who simply went on the show to challenge herself creatively, the rponse om other Asian-Amerins who stggled wh g out to their own fai was overwhelmg. "<em>Top Chef</em> really opened up my nfince so many ways — my nfince as a chef, but also my nfince as a queer Asian-Amerin woman this untry," she says.</p><div supprsHydratnWarng data-no-id="10" data-embed="pullquote" class="embed css-0 e9hzx6g0"><style data-emotn="css 1eiql25">{text-align:center;marg:0rem;paddg-top:0.9375rem;paddg-bottom:0.9375rem;}</style><blockquote class="css-1eiql25 e1pe3zr91"><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p0"></span><style data-emotn="css 1h5xk02">{font-fay:GTWalsheim,Helveti,sans-serif;font-size:1.625rem;font-weight:bold;le-height:1.2;marg:0rem;}@media(max-width: 48rem){{font-size:1.75rem;le-height:1.2;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:1.875rem;le-height:1.2;}} b, strong{font-fay:her;font-weight:bold;} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;}</style><blockquote class="css-1h5xk02 e1pe3zr90">Dpe promently featurg queer chefs, queer culture, and even queer polil dissent sce the mid-2000s, however, <em>Top Chef</em> fails to be regnized as a trailblazer givg queer women a platform.</blockquote><span aria-hidn="te" class="css-0 eagam8p1"></span></blockquote></div><p data-no-id="11" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Dpe promently featurg queer chefs, queer culture, and even queer polil dissent sce the mid-2000s, however, <em>Top Chef</em> fails to be regnized as a trailblazer givg queer women a platform. It's never so much as been nomated for a GLAAD Media Award (though short-lived sp-off <em>Top Chef: Jt Dserts</em> has), even wh s many direct and topil stori centerg queer women. By parison, <em>Amerin Idol</em>, <em>Survivor</em>, and <em>Amazg Race</em> are all multiple-time nome the Outstandg Realy Program tegory.</p><p data-no-id="12" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">"[Queer inty] has always been part of the fabric of the show," agre Akunowicz, who won Bt Chef: Northeast at the Jam Beard Awards 2018. "It's not somethg new that jt started happeng seven years ago. So I thk they don't get lled out bee they don't ll themselv out. That's actually what mak more powerful to the dience that they're reachg."</p><p data-no-id="13" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">It's te that the show has managed to showse queer talent while avoidg tokenizatn. Each of the returng queer All Stars nfirmed that she was enuraged to speak openly and hontly about her life on the show — regardls of her <em>Top Chef</em> era — whout ever feelg like her inty was exploed for good PR. In Akunowicz's se, this meant beg able to matter-of-factly discs her genrqueer spoe on air, ee of any belabored explaers.</p><style data-emotn="css 1736von">{--data-embed-display:flex;-webk-align-ems:center;-webk-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-ems:center;clear:both;display:-webk-box;display:-webk-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;marg-bottom:0.9375rem;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;width:100%;}@media(m-width: 20rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{width:100%;marg:0 to 0.9375rem;}} a span{right:1rem;} img{width:to;height:85vh;} a{display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;posn:var(--posn, relative);} img:not(.ewcw41w1){display:block;width:100%;height:to;-webk-align-self:flex-start;-ms-flex-em-align:flex-start;align-self:flex-start;}</style><div size="medium" data-embed="body-image" data-no-id="14" class="align-center size-medium embed css-1736von e1xqj1sx4"><style data-emotn="css uwraif">{width:100%;display:-webk-le-box;display:-webk-le-flex;display:-ms-le-flexbox;display:le-flex;-webk-flex-directn:lumn;-ms-flex-directn:lumn;flex-directn:lumn;marg-left:to;marg-right:to;-webk-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webk-jtify-ntent:center;jtify-ntent:center;}</style><div class="css-uwraif e1xqj1sx3"><img alt="Top Chef All-Stars" tle="Top Chef Gave Queer Women a Platform Before It Was Cool" loadg="lazy" width="1920" height="1080" dg="async" data-nimg="1" style="lor: transparent; width: 100%; height: to;" siz="100vw" srcSet=" 640w, 980w, 1120w, 1200w, 1920w" src="" class="css-0 exi4f7p0" /><style data-emotn="css swqnqv">@media(m-width: 20rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 30rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 40.625rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 48rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 64rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 73.75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 75rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}@media(m-width: 90rem){{paddg-left:0rem;}}</style><div class="css-swqnqv e1xqj1sx2"><style data-emotn="css 37rghg">{font-fay:GTWalsheim,Helveti,sans-serif;font-size:0.875rem;le-height:1.2;m-width:100%;paddg-top:0.625rem;width:0;}@media(m-width: 64rem){{font-size:1rem;le-height:1.2;}} em, i{font-fay:her;font-style:alic;}</style><div class="css-37rghg e1xqj1sx1">’Top Chef’ nttants preparg for a challenge. </div><style data-emotn="css 1am3yn9">{paddg-left:0rem;le-height:1;}</style><figptn class="css-1am3yn9 enfs9c50"><span class="css-pejqtf e6iqd2">BRAVO</span></figptn></div></div></div><p data-no-id="15" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">"People me to my rtrant and hugged me wh tears their ey, sayg, 'I've never heard somebody e genr-ntral pronouns on televisn,'" she rells of her first stt on the show 2015.</p><p data-no-id="16" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Trish Bendix, TV cric and former Edor--Chief of , remembers this as a hallmark of other realy shows ma throughout the 2000s by <em>Top Chef's</em> productn pany Magil Elv — like <em>The Real L Word</em> and <em>Project Runway</em>. "I always got the sense that they were very clive but they never ma a pot of showg off," she says. "I was always so fascated that they were able to fd so many queer women chefs bee, at the time, jt felt like there uld only be one lbian one specific [TV] world."</p><p data-no-id="17" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">When that one lbian did emerge, she was equently whe, th, feme-prentg, hypersexualized, and uld fortably pass for straight. <em>Top Chef</em>, by ntrast, was reliably stg mascule of center people, a variety of body typ, and queer women of lor, cludg beloved Season 10 wner Kristen Kish. And the foc was on their creative work the service dtry. To Akunowicz, who opened her rtrant Fox and the Knife Boston early last year, <em>Top Chef</em> was a place where viewers uld fd queer women remblg their real-life iends and csh. </p><p data-no-id="18" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0">Like Fernans, Akunowicz also boasts a majory queer female staff at her rtrant. "[It's] lerally the gayt," she jok. "We always say this hoe was built on Robyn." And as queer bars for women dwdle, the spac grow creasgly val for muny to flourish. Bendix often fds herself a <em>Top Chef</em> alum's rtrant while travelg if she's at a loss for other queer hnts. "It's a work," she explas, "bee, if you go to a cy where they don't have a lbian bar, the next bt thg you n do is go to a rtrant where they have a lbian chef."</p><style data-emotn="css 18pb4rg">{borr:0;borr-bottom:th solid black;marg:1.875rem 0;clear:both;}</style><hr data-no-id="19" class="css-18pb4rg et3p2gv0" /><p data-no-id="20" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><em>Mariella Mosthof is a sex and culture wrer who's published wh Into, them., Bch Media, Nylon, VICE, <style data-emotn="css 5z6rvi">{-webk-text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn:unrle;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:her;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;}{lor:#B20B16;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;}</style><a target="_blank" aria-scribedby="slack-k-tooltip" href=" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="" class="body-lk css-5z6rvi et3p2gv0"></a>, Slate, and more. Her work has been nomated for a Jam Beard Media Award and she liv New York Cy. You n fd her on Twter at <a target="_blank" aria-scribedby="slack-k-tooltip" href=" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="@mariellamosthof" class="body-lk css-5z6rvi et3p2gv0">@mariellamosthof</a>.</em></p><p data-no-id="21" class="css-18vfmjb et3p2gv0"><strong><em>Get Shondaland directly your box</em>: </strong><style data-emotn="css 174xt20">{-webk-text-ratn:none;text-ratn:none;text-ratn-thickns:0.0625rem;text-ratn-lor:her;text-unrle-offset:0.25rem;lor:#fff;-webk-transn:all 0.3s ease--out;transn:all 0.3s ease--out;display:le-block;background-lor:#B20B16;font-fay:GTWalsheim,Helveti,sans-serif;font-size:0.875rem;le-height:1;font-weight:bold;letter-spacg:0.05em;marg:0rem;paddg:0.6rem 0.7rem;text-transform:upperse;width:to;}{lor:#fff;text-ratn-lor:borr-lk-body-hover;background-lor:#000000;}{outle-lor:body-cta-btn-lk-foc;}</style><a href=" target="_blank" data-vars-ga-outbound-lk=" data-vars-ga-ll-to-actn="SUBSCRIBE TODAY" rel="nofollow" data-href=" data-vars-ga-ux-element="Hyperlk" class="body-btn-lk css-174xt20 et3p2gv0"><strong>SUBSCRIBE TODAY</strong></a><em><br /></em></p></div></div><style data-emotn="css 6b9rfj">{display:block;-webk-flex-basis:lc((100vw - 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