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I remember my first class in college, I was 16 and the youngest student at the time to be enrolled in the Culinary Arts program. Even at that age, I had noticed how male dominated the field was. I was fine with that, at the time I identified as gay and felt I could be one of the "boys". I wasn't alone either, most of the female students (4 out of 6) were also gay. Except, I wasn't butch or could pull off the more manly look like the other girls (If you're a female Chef, a good amount of them are gay and have to act macho). You see, I had just returned from going to school in the states for a year to finish up High School and hated it. Manhattan New York was a horrible place and no amount of money could cover up the fact that most of those folks (in my school) were homophobic, rude and very opinionated. I had nearly been raped by a group of boys in my school, because they felt they could help me "switch sides" and chased me into a corner in the stairway. Had the security guard not done rounds at that very moment, I would have been raped. So, you could imagine my relief to be back in Canada. Perhaps because of my recent experiences, the veil of innocence had been lifted and I suddenly became more aware. I was the only person of mixed-race in my class, everyone else was Caucasian or Asian. I felt like I fit in since my Dad is White and my Mom is Blasian. Yet I grew up in a very Asian household since that is how my Mother was raised and my Dad pretty much adopted the culture. People stared at me constantly and I tried not to notice, I thought maybe something was on my face and would constantly be excused to the washroom to check. I just couldn't figure it out. Finally, I was put into groups for some class activity and everyone introduced themselves. The first question I got after exchanging names was, "What are you?". I looked at them confused and replied that I was Canadian. One of the guys asked again, "No like were are you from?" and I responded about what area of Toronto I was from and they laughed. Then the guy clarified, "No, not that. Where is your parents from?" I stood there for a moment, not really sure why any of that was important. With a frown I responded, "Does it matter?" and they didn't speak to me much after that. I went home feeling really odd, no one had ever asked me that before. I looked at myself in the mirror for a long time, trying to figure out what was wrong with me. As my classmates become more comfortable in the class, that is when the jokes started. These are some examples I heard during class being thrown around from the teacher and fellow classmates.
"Why don't you do home and cry"
"Go write that in your diary"
"Go PMS somewhere else"
"I thought all women knew how to cook?"
I saw guys make sexual gestures with food, like humping whole chickens or mock fisting/fingering. But, if a female did the same thing....we'd get called out and shamed. It was then I realized that the professional kitchen was very much a boys club. Whenever I told anyone that I was enrolled in the Culinary program, people always assumed I was learning pastries. Because, all female Chefs are only good at baking apparently and its seen as more feminine. This is why many female Chefs choose to go into private catering or teach.
In my 12 years of professionally working in the kitchen, I've been groped and flashed on numerous occasions. If I literately don't act like the female version of Gordon Ramsay (basically being an asshole), you get ZERO respect as a female Executive Chef. Some other stuff I witness over the years: If you're Indian, people assume you're there to clean the dishes. Black, they watch you for stealing or assume you have a bad attitude. Gay male, you get shunned...unless your a server. Female, you must be a Pastry Chef or bakers assistant. Sadly, the culinary world is like that almost everywhere.
Needless to day, my sexual orientation hasn't really changed. I still love women, I just didn't marry one. But, I could have easily married a man or woman with no issue. But, I do get a bit of grief for being a married woman who is also a Chef. I get ask why I'm not home being a proper wife, instead of pulling 18hr days in a hot kitchen. After a while, I asked myself the same thing. Why am I in a kitchen with bratty little 20 somethings who still don't how to chiffonade or poach an egg, but had so much to say. Eventually, I peace'd out and opened up my own business so I could manage my own hours and spend more time with my family. I've never been happier. So, for anyone reading this and thinks about being a female Chef, don't get discouraged. The times have changed since I went to Culinary school and with Chefs like Helena Rizzo and Kristen Kish paving the way. We're shutting that boys club down.
"Why don't you do home and cry"
"Go write that in your diary"
"Go PMS somewhere else"
"I thought all women knew how to cook?"
I saw guys make sexual gestures with food, like humping whole chickens or mock fisting/fingering. But, if a female did the same thing....we'd get called out and shamed. It was then I realized that the professional kitchen was very much a boys club. Whenever I told anyone that I was enrolled in the Culinary program, people always assumed I was learning pastries. Because, all female Chefs are only good at baking apparently and its seen as more feminine. This is why many female Chefs choose to go into private catering or teach.
In my 12 years of professionally working in the kitchen, I've been groped and flashed on numerous occasions. If I literately don't act like the female version of Gordon Ramsay (basically being an asshole), you get ZERO respect as a female Executive Chef. Some other stuff I witness over the years: If you're Indian, people assume you're there to clean the dishes. Black, they watch you for stealing or assume you have a bad attitude. Gay male, you get shunned...unless your a server. Female, you must be a Pastry Chef or bakers assistant. Sadly, the culinary world is like that almost everywhere.
Needless to day, my sexual orientation hasn't really changed. I still love women, I just didn't marry one. But, I could have easily married a man or woman with no issue. But, I do get a bit of grief for being a married woman who is also a Chef. I get ask why I'm not home being a proper wife, instead of pulling 18hr days in a hot kitchen. After a while, I asked myself the same thing. Why am I in a kitchen with bratty little 20 somethings who still don't how to chiffonade or poach an egg, but had so much to say. Eventually, I peace'd out and opened up my own business so I could manage my own hours and spend more time with my family. I've never been happier. So, for anyone reading this and thinks about being a female Chef, don't get discouraged. The times have changed since I went to Culinary school and with Chefs like Helena Rizzo and Kristen Kish paving the way. We're shutting that boys club down.
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I have no words for this kind of treatment, good lord. Your post reminds me of a tumblr post that I think was reblogged by Turnip
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