If you are what you eat, then what is the queer body made of?

I’m excited to finally share a project that I’ve been working on for a minute: ‘A Queer History of American Food’, a four-part exploration of LGBTQ+ history through iconic American dishes, from iced coffee to whole wheat tortillas.

I created the five-minute animations as part of Center Theatre Group’s Digital Stage Community Stories. Ever wonder why iced coffee is gay? What sweet tea has to do with sexuality? Or even how buttercream became part of the camp revolution? Each episode follows one dish’s journey and its role in influencing queer identity and creating community.

It was daunting to take on all the historical research that went into the project, not to mention the hours of animating, but it was also a lot of fun. My immense gratitude and appreciation goes out to all the voice actors, hand models, foley artists, and moral supporters who helped me out along the way. And of course, thanks to Jesus and everybody at Center Theatre Group for allowing me to showcase this work.

I’m continuing to pursue research into the intersections of food and queer history, so check back for more updates. Until then, you can watch the first four episodes here.