The Food Network doesn't want you to think Brian Boitano might be gay

Later this month, The Food Network will debut their new show What Would Brian Boitano Make? starring the Olympic gold medal winning ice skater. Earlier last month, I received some publicity material from the network and, thinking our readers might be interested, responded asking when Brian would be doing press.

I was told someone would get back to me, but no one ever did.

Fortunately, I knew that The Food Network was hosting an event to promote WWBBM? at the approaching Television Critics Association Summer Tour in Los Angeles, and I knew at the party, Brian would be doing interviews with press such as myself. 

Here is how the network publicity materials described the show: 

With a lifelong passion for food and cooking, Brian hosts unpredictable get-togethers at his San Francisco home and creates amazing menus focusing on innovative but accessible dishes. He feeds an all-girl roller derby squad, plays matchmaker for a friend, wins over his handyman’s supper club, and plans a surprise party celebrating new motherhood.

The website for what Would Would Brian Boitano Make? also describes the first two episodes of the show. Episode One is called "Brian and the Bachelor" and is described as "Brian is throwing a dinner party in the hopes of hooking up his good friend Tony with one of 15 eligible bachelorettes. Using perfect pairings of ingredients in all of his recipes, Brian hopes he can create the perfect match for Tony."

Episode Two is called "Paella Surprise" and states: "After deciding to throw a surprise party for his best friend Yvonne, Brian seeks guidance from Yvonne's mom, Manuela. Can Brian pull off the big surprise and create a menu to make Manuela proud?"

Additionally, promo clips on The Food Network website have Brian giving viewers a tour of his San Francisco home, including one amusing clip built around his "costume closet." 

So at The Food Network party, I waited my turn to to talk with Brian, introduced myself to him and the publicist accompanying him, and explained I was the editor of AfterElton.com and what we covered. I said I was interested in doing a profile of Brian as a way to cover the show and that our profile would include asking Brian some questions about his personal life. This is pretty standard fare not only for AfterElton.com, but for any media outlet.

At that point I was told — in no uncertain terms — that the show was strictly about the cooking and was going to keep its focus on that, and not on Brian's personal life.

The publicist then physically steered Brian away from me, toward another journalist.

As you can surmise from the show's own publicity materials and website, the publicist isn't correct in asserting the show is focused solely on the food. Not only is Brian not a professional cook — it's a hobby of his — but the show also takes place in Brian's home and with his friends. His best friend, in fact.

So the show clearly is dealing with Brian's personal life. It's just a matter of where they're drawing the line in what they'll discuss.

Where they draw the line is their choice, but by making the show so much about Brian's personal life, and by trading on his fame for publicity, the network has to expect reporters to ask about such basics as whether Brian is single, married, divorced, or, yes, gay. Read a similar profile in People Magazine or most any other entertainment publication and that information is usually provided.

Furthermore, there is nothing wrong with being gay or in asking that question of a celebrity who has voluntarily put themselves in the public eye to advance their career.

But by saying Brian can't even talk to us because the question will come up, The Food Network is clearly communicating they have an issue with viewers even thinking Brian might be gay. 

Which seems odd, because the network already has out chef Cat Cora on Iron Chef America: The Series. And the network has had numerous out contestants on The Next Food Network Star show. 

Cat Cora

For the record, I don't know if Brian is gay, straight, or bisexual. Furthermore, AfterElton.com has a strict policy against outing people, and I would never write about a rumour I'd heard about Brian.

But we also don't have a policy against reporting when a network not only won't let a star talk to us, but cites a reason for doing so that is patently false and smacks of potential homophobia. 

I don't know what Brian Boitano would do. But I do know The Food Network won't let us talk to him.