Queer Eye’s Antoni gets ‘stressed out’ over being a ‘spokesperson’ for LGBT community
Antoni Porowski (Antoni Porowski)
Queer Eye’s Antoni Porowski has admitted that the thought of being a “spokesperson” for the LGBT+ community stresses him out.
The food and wine expert told Associated Press last week (30 August) that, before starting the Emmy-award nominated Netflix reboot, he was anxious he was not “gay enough” and didn’t know enough about cooking.
Two years on, a cookbook and restaurant to boot and a fifth season confirmed, Porowski reflected that the pressure of being at the forefront of the community is intense for him.
“I get stressed out when I get asked that,” he said.
“I’m not an expert in anything except my opinions about food and dogs and maybe scented candles,” he added.
“I just try to stay in my lane.”
Porowski also discussed his journey to self-acceptance as sexually fluid.
“I’m still trying to define what that means for me,” Porowski said.
“I think I did certainly have a bit of shame being fluid when I was growing up because I didn’t know too many people who I could relate to.”
Antoni: “The stars just aligned to make me the avocado guy.”
When it came to the anxiety he felt over his new role in the revival, it was noticing his résumé was already full of foodie jobs that finally reassured him.
“I had a lot of things that I was interested in and I still do. But I realized that the one constant, the one thing that I always did that followed through everything was food.
“The first jobs I had were in restaurants, from busboy to waiter to manager to sommelier. It’s what helped me sustain myself while I was auditioning.
“Food is how I show my love to other people. It’s how I connect to others.”
Porowski quickly became meme-famous when the show became airing as fans noticed his enthusiasm for cooking with avocados on the show.
“I like an avocado,” he admitted, but “I’m not as obsessed with them as public perception may be.
“Sometimes you get remembered for some strange things. It’s such a symbol of millennial culture.
“The stars just aligned to make me the avocado guy.
“There are worse things to be remembered for, frankly. I’ll take it!”
