Timberlake: My entry into the professional food world was as a writer and blogger, and overall that’s a very accepting sphere. Just before BlogHer Food 2010, here in San Francisco, I joked in a piece that 80% of food bloggers are women, and of the balance, 80% of the men are gay. Many of the most prominent and esteemed male food bloggers are gay, like David Lebovitz, David Leite, Adam Roberts and local up-and-comers (and personal friends) Michael Procopio and Irvin Lin. So, I can’t say that I’ve experienced any outright homophobia among my peers.

But of course, having a blog means being exposed to a broader audience. Even so, only once have I encountered any push back from the general public. Shortly after Prop 8 passed, I wrote a rant on it that segued into a recipe for ropa vieja. Someone came across it, apparently from searching for ropa vieja recipes, and left a comment about marriage being between a man and a woman the way God ordained it to be. Her one comment sparked dozens of responses refuting hers with rational points about constitutional law, religious freedom and more supporting the right for same-sex marriage. It was awesome.

With my community site, Punk Domestics, my sexuality doesn’t really come into play. I don’t hide it -- my bio on the About page clearly references dpaul -- but the site is not about me; it’s about a huge, robust community of DIY foodies. Many of my contributors are LGBT, most are not. If any of them out there have a problem with homosexuality, it doesn’t come up.

Bay Area Bites: Do you find some areas of the food world more accepting than others?

Timberlake: I think acceptance is generally on the rise, and at least here in San Francisco I’ve never noticed an area that’s expressly homophobic. However, I would love to see more visibility for openly LGBT farmers (they exist!). Then again, I would love to see more visibility for all farmers. It’s grueling, thankless work, and these people literally feed us every single day. We owe them our attention and admiration.

Bay Area Bites: What was it like for you coming out professionally? When did you do it? What was your job at the time? Have you noticed a change over time?

Timberlake: I’ve been unapologetically out for over 25 years, long before I was writing about food, or anything for that matter. My first career, in the late 80s and early 90s, was in theater, albeit on the technical side, sets and props. It was like being a reverse minority: Most of the people on the technical side were straight, but the industry overall is so overwhelmingly gay, there was no issue of acceptance. If anything, I think I got more confusion from the gays on the performance and costuming side, seeing little gay me covered in sawdust and paint.

Bay Area Bites: Is there a gay subculture within the food world? In the Bay Area?

Timberlake: I often joke about the Lesbian Food Mafia. There are relatively few openly gay male chefs of note in the Bay Area, but some of our most esteemed female chefs and other food professionals are out. I don’t really know why that is. Where gay men are most prevalent and influential, though, is in the food media world. It’s as if we all descend from James Beard.

Bay Area Bites: Since San Francisco is a gay mecca are there restaurants (as opposed to bars that serve food) that are know to cater to a mostly gay clientele?

Timberlake: I used to be an editor for a now-defunct travel publication that recently rebooted as ManAboutWorld. Back in the early 2000s, we had to make a point to find the places where gays and lesbians would frequent. Nowadays, I don’t see as much of that; we’re everywhere. Conversely, as restaurants in the Castro are improving (thank heavens!), places like Frances and Fable are drawing in a more homogenized crowd. I think back to the days of Ryan’s or The Patio, which felt like the brunching version of 70s discos, and that just doesn’t exist anymore.

Bay Area Bites: What are your favorite places to eat and drink?

Timberlake: Contigo is probably our most frequented restaurant, in part because it’s a block from our house and because Brett and Elan Emerson are personal friends, but mainly because the food is amazing. We love to sit at the cava bar and chat up the staff. Ragazza is another fave, and again Sharon and her wife Alisha are buds. They came on my Punk Domestics trip to Italy last year, which we’re reprising, this fall.

I love Bar Tartine, and our favorite splurge is a languid evening of omakaze at ICHI Sushi with the boisterous Tim Archuleta. As for watering holes, we’re fans of both Blackbird and Churchill.

Bay Area Bites: How do you celebrate Pride Month? Personally? Professionally?

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LGBT Pride Profile: Punk Domestics Founder & Writer Sean Timberlake