“Tender” is a column about all of the beautiful, delicious, and liberating ways that LGBTQ+ people work with food. From production to preparation, local farms to reimaginings of the restaurant, our community is at the forefront of what it means to nourish and be nourished today. Read more from the series here.
On February 24, Anna Margit awoke to word that Russia was bombing Ukraine. The chef and organizer tousled her wavy dark blonde hair, donned an oversized button-up shirt, and rushed across town with her dog Zippy to begin a long day of cooking. Her body kicked into autopilot as she spun around the makeshift kitchen at Szeszgyár (pronounced sez-geeyar), a queer feminist community center and garden in the heart of Budapest. News of Russia’s attack came through over a patchy internet connection. Meanwhile, Margit roasted vegetables, marinated homemade seitan, and packed meals for her lunch delivery service. By that afternoon, all the 29-year-old could think was, “I have to do something, we have to do something,” she tells Them over a recent video call.
The sense of urgency was overwhelming. Within hours, Margit and members of Szeszgyár began mobilizing emergency housing and food for people directed to them from contacts at Kyiv Pride, Budapest Pride, and OMOH, a kinky queer techno collective. Szeszgyár proved good glue, connecting people via social media to spare beds and couches and raising funds for medicine, clothes, and plane tickets. After a few days of brainstorming how else to help, they announced a free pop-up restaurant and cafe at the center. Members signed up for shifts and disseminated flyers. In bold letters against a backdrop of blue and yellow they read: REFUGEES WELCOME AT SZESZGYÁR.