"Selfish and self-centred" US President Donald Trump will only continue to damage many groups until he is out of office, says Texas-based transgender chef Chris Trapani.
Born in 1977, Trapani was around 20 when he got a chance to work with a catering company.
"They catered to events, also attended by Trump. He spoke down to people and was always rude to them, especially the workers. His whole attitude towards the service class annoys me," Trapani told IANS during his visit to Delhi last week.
Trump, who won the US presidential election on November 8, 2016, had proposed a transgender military ban last year. Trump also rolled back laws protecting transgender children's right to choice of bathroom.
Asked about the struggles of being a transgender, especially under the Trump administration, he said: "I am constantly upset about the thing Trump says and does. He is selfish and self-centred, and I can't wait until he is gone.
"He will only continue to damage many groups until he is out of office. Nothing he has done so far has affected me, but he is surely hurting people."
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On the chef's move from New York to Texas, he said: "It was fairly easy for me in Texas to get ID documents changed, go through the surgery, even though it is expensive, and be treated fairly.
"In my opinion, states like Alabama and Mississippi are terrible with people who are transitioning. I have met more friendly and caring people in Texas than in any other state."
The former participant of the "Chopped" show would like to share his story with Indians now.
"We need to push the message that all humans are equal and have many things in common," said the chef, who specialises in Tex-Mex food, and is on a multi-city tour in India.
For his visit here, Trapani, along with The Lalit Food Truck Company chefs, conducted a skill development workshop for the members of the transgender community.
"It is an honour to be a part of this event that promotes equality and also team it with my passion for food," Trapani said about the initiative led by Keshav Suri, Executive Director of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group.
The chef got his first job in kitchen when he was 16. Now, he owns a food truck.
"We started with serving lunch at offices, breweries and parks. Now we are usually always booked for private events," he said.
"Last year, we opened a restaurant for a few months. People loved it. Unfortunately, we got a bad deal with the landlord and had to vacate.
"I hope to try opening a restaurant someday soon. Currently, we are working on an event venue on our land in Texas," he added.
(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)
--IANS
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