KQED's Forum

What is Queer Food?

Jun 13, 2025
John Birdsall, a celebrated food writer and author of 'What is Queer Food?: How We Served a Revolution', dives deep into the intersection of queer identity and culinary culture. He reflects on personal memories that reveal how food shapes cultural identity, highlights pioneering queer restaurants, and discusses meals that have challenged traditional norms. The conversation explores food as a source of resilience and community within the LGBTQ+ movement, showing how culinary expressions foster connection even amidst adversity.
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ANECDOTE

Early Queer Food Memories

  • John Birdsall grew up near a gay couple, Pat and Lou, who hosted joyful and different food experiences.
  • Their home represented a magical world of queer identity and food that contrasted with his family dinners.
ANECDOTE

First Queer Restaurant: The Paper Doll

  • The Paper Doll, opened 1944 in San Francisco, was arguably the first queer restaurant.
  • It created a safe space allowing patrons to express gender identity freely, unlike other bars which catered more to tourists.
INSIGHT

Queer Food as Culture

  • Queer food is more a culture shaped by context than a specific cuisine.
  • It queers food by subverting roles, expressing identity, and building community, especially through public visibility post-Stonewall.
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