Each month the Food and Culture program will be celebrating and featuring members from the SSU community who are part of a cultural or underrepresented group. Lauren was recognized during LGBTQ+ History Month. Learn more:
What is your name?
Lauren Antoni
From the institution/department are you visiting us?
Sonoma State University, Culinary Services
Who is the activist that you relate to the most from this month’s history?
I can't say I relate to anyone in particular, but I've found inspiration from many people throughout LGBTQIA+ History such as Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, Harvey Milk, Billie Jean King, and so many more.
What moment in history has been the most relevant to your civil rights now?
The most impactful civil rights moment in my life was when gay marriage was legalized nationwide, June 26, 2015. Which was just a month after I married my wife. The Supreme Court announced its decision in Obergefell V. Hodges, solidifying by only one vote, ruling that same-sex marriage cannot be banned in the United States and that all same-sex marriages must be recognized nationwide, finally granting same-sex couples equal rights to heterosexual couples under the law.
How do you contribute to this month’s history at Sonoma State University?
I try to model the representation that I was lacking as a student in school. My contribution to LGBTQ History Month is being out, proud, and happy to be me.
What is your favorite dish?
I'd like to take this opportunity to highlight an incredibly talented and local LGBTQ Chef, Crista Luedtke. Call her the chef who transformed an entire town. In 2008, tired of corporate life, Crista Luedtke moved to Guerneville, taking over a boutique hotel and opening a restaurant named for her sweet, white-muzzled rescue pup, Boon. And then she just kept going, with another local restaurant, and another—and just last summer, a second resort, The Highlands. Along the way, she became a star on “Guy’s Grocery Games” and a leader with a heart of gold in her local community.
What is the best side dish for this meal?
This dish is a side dish! I think it would pair wonderfully with just about anything!