Creating A Community With Food And Love

 The Cleveland Ohio area is not necessarily known for its' thriving LGBTQ community or for places catering to then. That's about to change thanks to neighboring Lakewood where there is a plan for inclusivity starting with a burgeoning food culture helping them. 

Erik Piepenburg ,who handles more of the New York Times' Arts sections and movie reviews wrote this interesting piece in the paper's Wednesday's Food section yesterday.The area is changing , and is more reminiscent of Manhattan's chelsea before it became gentrified. The Fieldhouse, a 30,000 square foot complex hosted a show headlined by some of the stars  such as MOney X-Change and Trinity the Turk of "Ru Paul's Drag Race . The complex's three restaurants are also getting their produce from a neighborhood garden tended by LGBTQ. They feel like they are finally part of the community according to Chelsea Brennan , a transgender woman who also did electrical installation at The Fieldhouse. The complex is just step one in this unification. The company behind it, Studio Wesr 117, headed by daniel Budish and Betsy Figgie will create a gay neighborhood with a new hotel, shops and a health clinic. It will be funded by one hundred million in both public and private funds. The company's partner is the Greater Cleveland Food Bank and the LGBTQ Community Center of Greater Cleveland.

Food is the main goal here. There are all sorts of classes at The Fieldhouse along with previews of the menus. The restaurants haven't opened yet but they are offering prviews of their dishes. Visitors enjoyed burgers topped with goat cheese from the area's Mackenzie Creamery and pizza, especially the pepperoni one called the Flirt from the complex's pizzeria Eat Me.There will also be a gastro pub called Muze anda rooftop  bar called The Trellis. There is also a food court of sorts for those attending games and events. The fieldhouse also boasts an intimate demonstration kitchen where there are all sorts of classes.At a recent pastry making class, drag queen Plenty O'Smiles iced cookies while teen-aged transgender boy Theo Crowfoot-Suede watched. Then Theo grabbed the piping bag and squeezed it just so to ice a pumpkin shaped ccokie. he and his mom Kim travelled all the way from Columbus to not only attend a fun class but to be amongst people like him. There was also a salsa making class for the group who tended the community garden , led by The field house's  pansexual assistant mananager Ms.Hulzing who goes by Ox.people of all persuasions enjoyed the salsa going home with printed copies of it.

Can The Fieldhouse be a model for future LGBTQ neighborhoods. Most definitely. It takes funds but also a community to make it work too.

Drag Time At Taco Bell

More and more businesses are fast becoming more aware and progressive. This definitely applies to Taco Bell and their drag brunches. it's a step in the right direction because it  encourages fun and dialogue about the L.G.B.T.Q. community,

Erik Piepenburg who contributes to all sections of The New York Times wrote about this new fun  phenomena in yesterday's paper's Food section. Yes, it's a fun experience (as anyone who has visited Greenwich Village's Lips will tell you) bu there's also a deeper meaning here too. The Taco bell Foundation, which primarily gives out scholarships is giving a grant to the It Gets Better Project  to expand work-force-readiness  resources to L.G.B.T.Q.  youth. Last year the chain also named the openly gay rapper Lil Nas as its'chief impact officer. Other chains are stepping up too. Burger King has promised to donate forty cents off of every order of it's Ch'King Sandwich to the Human Rights Campaign, an LG.B.T.Q. advocacy group. Many other eateries, especially those with New York roots like Shake Shack along with national chain Chipotle plan to donate percentages of their June proceeds to L.G.B.T.Q. organizations. This comes in the wake of such restrictive laws such as Florida's antiquated "Don't Say Gay" bill which forbids or limits discussions about gender and roles in the state's school systems.

Again, the country, which for the most part  is progressive but ti also needs to be open. Why not have some fun with this learning adventure. The Taco Bell Drag brunch fits this.It's a tour that starts off in Las Vegas and ends in CHicago.It's run by Oscar Quintero, a drag performer himself who goes by the name Kay Sedia (pronounced quesadilla -get it?) He is the tour's drag hostess and books local drag queens to perform through the various cities along the way.There's still the same Taco Bell breakfast.There's the breakfast burrito which diners can have in vegetable, bacon or sausage, hash browns and Cinnabon Delight doughnut holes.Unlike a regular meal at the popular eatery, there is drinking and with it comes drinking games. There is one where everyone takes a shot when they hear Taco Bell's signature bell dong.People love it, with one diner, Blake Hundley driving three hours from Dubuque Iowa to Chicago. He would do it again. Most would despite what legislation says. Hosting a drag party is not controversial.It's entertaining as many people celebrate their birthdays and other events at these shows.

Taco Bell may seem like the typical suburban eatery. Yet' it's as progressive city eateries.It celebrates incluisveness with fun food and fun entertainment