Chef Roshara Sanders is revolutionizing the culinary world as a culinary instructor at the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, where she herself graduated in 2014. Chef Ro’s teaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of love in cooking. Hailing from Bridgeport, Connecticut, she proudly claims the title of the first Black female culinary arts instructor at the institute. In a recent installment of Voices In Food, she sheds light on the challenges she faces in the kitchen and the significance of representation, while also addressing the potential impact of global events on the hospitality industry.
I face three major challenges in the kitchen: being a woman, being Black, and being gay. I have experienced sexism firsthand. When a network segment revealed my sexual orientation during Black History Month in 2017, at the age of 28, I noticed a definite shift in the kitchen environment.
Some may question why someone’s sexual orientation matters. As chefs, we don’t usually go around announcing our sexual orientation. However, once the information is out, there is undoubtedly a change in people’s attitudes. Most kitchens are male-dominated, and as a woman who presents herself in a masculine manner, I noticed that chefs started treating me differently. They distanced themselves from me. I believe my appearance intimidates some men. Of course, nobody will explicitly say, “I don’t like you because you’re gay.”
The kitchen should be a place of camaraderie, where a sense of family prevails. The energy in a kitchen shifts when teamwork falters and homophobia takes hold. Sadly, both men and women in the industry contribute to this. I used to socialize with certain people outside of work, but that changed when I introduced my partners to work events. It doesn’t require reading between the lines to realize what has changed. Nothing else about me or my talent has changed.
“We have to ask ourselves how we can’t be hospitable to people within when we’re in the hospitality industry.”
– Roshara Sanders
Restaurants have always been known for giving people a second chance. They have traditionally shown love to those who have had difficult lives. However, there is also a certain type of talk that is allowed in kitchens. I believe kitchens need to evolve and create a more inclusive space for the LGBTQ community.
Unfortunately, I know people who have reported homophobic incidents to their superiors, but their concerns were dismissed. You need a supportive manager who has your back. How can we not lead by example? Our industry is built on serving happiness. If you treat me poorly, how can I cook with love? My philosophy is based on cooking with love, and that love permeates through our food. We must question how we can’t be hospitable to our own colleagues in an industry that revolves around hospitality. Without a happy staff, we have nothing.
I believe the individuals who suffer the most are those in customer-facing roles; they are the public face of a restaurant. Recently, I was dining with friends and our server happened to be a trans woman. The table next to ours requested a different server because they didn’t want to be served by a trans woman, stating it clashed with their beliefs and they didn’t want their children to be confused. The server had to be informed about why those guests left, and I can only imagine how devastating that must have felt.
This trans woman then served our table, grateful for our acceptance and allowing her to fulfill her duties.
“When you choose to be authentically yourself, that can be traumatic.”
– Sanders
In the kitchen, as a woman who presents herself in a masculine manner, I am not as visible (unless it’s an open kitchen), so I feel safe there for the most part. However, in customer-facing roles, there is no safety cushion. Someone could have become angrier and more confrontational towards the trans woman simply because of her identity, regardless of how she performed her job. I have witnessed similar incidents with men who present themselves in a more feminine manner. Consider the employees working in pubs with toxic masculinity. People don’t have to agree with the choices of others, but they should treat them with respect and love.
LGBTQ individuals still face taboo in many places. When we look at countries like Uganda, where homosexuality is punishable by death, and consider the laws being passed in our own country, we know that there are individuals who can’t live their truth due to fear for their lives. As a veteran who served during the “don’t ask, don’t tell” era, I understand the challenges of living a hidden life. Being authentic can be traumatic.
What I do in my personal life shouldn’t affect how I perform my job. I feel a tremendous amount of support at the Culinary Institute of America. We are encouraged to share our pronouns, transgender students can use their chosen names, and there was even a drag show on campus last year during Pride Month. I hope other schools in the hospitality industry are following suit and asking, “How can we support you?” I don’t want to work at a place that turns away my community. I believe this will lead to restaurant workers being discouraged from working in certain states. This is why representation matters.
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