Top Chef Forces Contestants into Binary Gender System

Just when you start to think the folks at Bravo really get the gays, they do something to mess it up, like Top Chef Season Six Episode 2.

This episode, where contestants are "forced to compete in teams of men vs. women" was a failure to grasp gender and sexuality studies 101. In a time where everyone from Elizabeth Birch to Caster Semenya are broadening our understanding of gender, Top Chef does the opposite.

Does the top chef contestant pictured on the left identify as male or female? I sure don't know. I've never met Preeti and frankly, it's none of my business.

What I do know, however, is that when you separate the "boys" and the "girls", there are almost always some folks who don't fit neatly into either category, and there are almost always some folks who are hurt in the process. And Preeti sure seemed pretty pissed about the decision for the men to compete against the women.

Top Chef really should have been able to figure this one out on their own.