Ted Allen is host/narrator of the new PBS wine series "Uncorked: Wine Made Simple," a judge on Bravo’s hit reality show "Top Chef" and on Food Network’s "Iron Chef America," and as the food and wine specialist on the Emmy Award-winning hit "Queer Eye" on Bravo. Ted holds an M.A. in journalism from New York University and a B.A. in psychology from Purdue University. He lives in Brooklyn with his longtime partner, Barry Rice.
Ryan Judge, 20, is the Student Body President at the Denver Campus of Johnson & Wales University where he is a junior in the Family & Consumer Sciences Education program. Ryan also works for The GLBT Community Center of Colorado.
RJ: From your experience as an openly gay individual in the entertainment industry, would you consider it to be LGBT friendly?
TA: Well, as an industry, I'd say it's friendlier than, say, NASCAR. (But, then, NASCAR is entertainment, too.) On the one hand, Queer Eye was embraced pretty nicely by the industry. On the other, Hollywood remains a fickle and gutless place on this issue—there are still only about three openly gay people working on-screen, but, then, more and more people are coming out (the guy on Grey's Anatomy and Neil Patrick Harris come to mind). I think many actors still fear having their career defined by their out-ness, which seems a legitimate concern to me, sadly. I will say that people seem more open to accepting a gay man playing a straight role. It is, after all, acting!
RJ: Do you feel the fact your emphasis on the hospitality and restaurant industries play a role in that?
TA: Well, not really. But I'm sort of a special case, compared to actors-- I mean, my whole introduction to entertainment was as an openly gay person, playing myself. I will say that the hotel and restaurant industry has historically been very open to LGB people (not so sure about transgendered folks).
RJ: What were challenges you faced in the coming out process and how did you overcome them?
TA: The same challenges we all face; mainly, fear of disappointing my parents. Fortunately, they were great. You have to remember that parents have dreams for the children, and few of them dream of their kids being gay. Then again, everybody has to be who they are, and few of us do exactly what our parents want us to do. I came out very late--like so many American kids, I grew up in a place and time where being gay as a teenager was simply not an option, and I didn't have any role models to identify with. I wasn't the stereotypical "sissy" (and let me say I love ALL our gay brothers, butch and femme and anything in between), and I didn't identify with leathermen, either. Those were the only examples of gay people you ever saw in the media back then. Happily, gay kids today see so many other reflections of themselves. Gay people come in all flavors, colors, and styles.
I became comfortable with myself as a gay man at the ripe old age of 26, when I fell in with a group of friends in Chicago that included a couple of gay guys who were like me--regular midwestern dorks. Those role models were crucial to me realizing that there are all kinds of gay folks. Then I came out, and everybody was great. My friend Kevin asked, "do you still like Led Zeppelin"? Answer: Yes. Much more than dance music and "West Side Story," as a matter of fact.
RJ: What advice would you give to LGBT youth who are considering a career in the entertainment business?
TA: Go for it! Be yourself. Work hard. Do something to stand out from the herd. Be sure to finish school--the entertainment biz is not a sure thing, and it's good to have a Plan B.
RJ: Who in your life has a major influence on you? Why?
TA: My mother and father, for absolute honesty and integrity.
RJ: LGBT rights have come a long way in the past decade - what do you see as being the important next step?
TA: Getting a president elected who will nominate Supreme Court justices that will arrest the court's scary turn to the right. Now is an important and scary time. The fight for marriage equality is a big one, too. It will come in small victories and small defeats. We as a community have matured a lot politically, and probably are close to accepting that if we're going to win this one, it's probably going to start with civil unions.
RJ: What was your upbringing? (religion, schooling)
TA: I grew up in a very loving home with parents who (thank god) placed a very strong emphasis on getting a good education. My folks are fairly religious. Personally I'm too angry about the damage that organized religion has done to our community to be involved with it myself--besides, in an age of science and reason, I just don't need it. I believe what's important is treating people kindly, being honest, and working hard. And having freedom.
RJ: When coming out were you ever rejected by a group of people? (friends, family etc.)
TA: I've always been amazed by the reaction to Queer Eye all over the country; we got virtually zero negative reaction. Sometimes my partner and I get a funny look when we check into a hotel and don't want separate beds, but having been a cast member on Queer Eye makes that happen less often. I'm not just out; I'm mega-out. I'm wayyyyyyy out.
RJ: Do you feel being "out" helped you on your road to success?
TA: Absolutely. It's very hard to live a healthy life without being honest.
RJ: Were you ever pressured into acting out a stereotype?
TA: No. Seems to me there's much more pressure to reject gay stereotypes. I think working in the absolute safe space of Queer Eye and Bravo freed me to be as campy as I wanted to be, but there were others on my show who were so much campier than I am.
RJ: How were you discovered?
TA: Queer Eye happened via an open casting call in New York. More than 500 people auditioned. I never thought they would pick me. Turns out that Carson and I were the first ones cast. Now, as QE airs its finale season, Bravo has been great to me, putting me on the judges panel of Top Chef. I'm also working as a judge on Iron Chef America on Food Network, and hosting a wine show on PBS called "Uncorked." And I'm working on developing a show of my own.
