QFF’s mission is to be a nationwide resource and platform for LGBTQIA+ people in food, connecting workers at every level, from farmworkers and gardeners to sommeliers, brewers, media professionals, and waitstaff to promote, protect, and fund queer food spaces. Their Queer Food Directory is a public resource for industry professionals to connect around the world, and they seek to create opportunities for networking, employment, and community building at large.
Beyond providing a platform for advocacy and networking, QFF partners with organizations to host collaborative, engaging events with their network of queer chefs and food industry workers. In partnership with the James Beard Foundation, they host the Queer All Year initiative, a series of virtual educational panels designed to highlight LGBTQ+ individuals and organizations year-round, encouraging ongoing partnerships rather than short-term collaborations limited to Pride Month.
QFF also seeks to directly support LGBTQ+ folks through financial aid initiatives and nationwide donation drives. They provide emergency funds to food spaces that have experienced hate crimes, and work to combat food insecurity by stocking community fridges and organizing food drives across the country. Bon Appétit is honored to partner with the Queer Food Foundation to amplify queer voices and support their mission in building a more inclusive food future.
We’re pleased to share this insightful interview with QFF Executive Director and Co-Founder Vanessa Parish, about the organizations’ work and vision.
Can you tell us the story of the origin of Queer Food Foundation — when it began, and how it came to be?
The Queer Food Foundation (QFF) was launched in 2020 during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic by a group of queer food workers who saw a dire need for mutual support. My co-founders and I created the foundation as a mutual aid initiative to support LGBTQ+ folks in hospitality who were suddenly losing jobs, facing food insecurity, and lacking dedicated support networks. While we initially focused on immediate aid for community members impacted by pandemic-related job losses, the mission expanded as we connected with more queer food workers and realized the systemic gaps in inclusion and representation across the food system.
What are some of the biggest systemic barriers you see today for LGBTQ+ individuals in the food system?
Many queer workers, particularly trans and intersectional individuals, are disproportionately affected by food insecurity. Even as many queer people are in low-wage food roles, they often lack safe and supportive workplaces where they can bring their full identity to work without fear or discrimination. There also has historically been limited representation of queer voices in broader food industry conversations, from farmworkers and front-of-house staff to chefs, media figures, and food entrepreneurs, leaving gaps in mentorship, visibility, and industry support.
QFF seeks to address these barriers by building community resources, mutual aid, connections, representation, and advocacy so queer food workers can not only survive, but thrive, in their careers. We collaborate with other liked minded organizations, and community leaders to lend support to those who are also already on the ground in local areas.
What do you envision for the future of your organization in the next 3-5 years, and the food industry at large?
We would love to expand our outreach and in-person community building, deepen our industry partnerships, and continue the growth of mutual aid and structural support! We aim to help transform the food world into a space where queer people are fully included and not only as workers but as leaders, creators, and celebrated community members.
How can readers get involved or contribute to the Queer Food Foundation?
You can learn more about our programs – the Queer Food Fund, the Queer Food Directory, and Queer All Year, our partnership with the James Beard Foundation – on our website (there are new projects on the horizon, too!). Donations help sustain QFF’s mutual aid programs, directory, events, and community resources. Our current economic and political climate has made it increasingly harder to retain funding from larger corporations that were previously loud and proud supporters. We depend heavily on grassroots support. Sign up for the Directory if you are a food professional, share our stories and others in our community, and come find us! If we are hosting an event near you, we would love to meet you!
