How Queer Eye's Bobby Berk Uses His Platform For Political And Cultural Awareness - Exclusive
Netflix subscribers across the globe know Bobby Berk for his role as the design expert on "Queer Eye," but they may also know him for the good work he's doing using the platform the show has provided. As part of the Fab Five — which also includes Karamo Brown, Antoni Porowski, Tan France, and Jonathan Van Ness — Berk uplifts people across the United States, one life makeover at a time. However, he also commits himself to political and cultural partnerships, which enable him to reach more people at once.
Among these partnerships is the "Queer Eye" cast's previous work with Jill Biden, in which they all worked together to raise voter awareness ahead of the 2020 presidential election (via CNN). Now, Berk is continuing to uplift entire communities through his new partnership with Lowe's.
Titled the Lowe's Hometowns project, the initiative will see the home renovation chain store spending $100 million over a five-year period. "Through grant funding, engagement with local Pros and volunteer support from Lowe's Red Vest associates, Lowe's Hometowns will build, repair, beautify, inspire and make a positive impact on millions of Americans across the communities Lowe's serves," the company's official website reads.
In an exclusive interview with The List, Berk recently revealed what his Lowe's partnership means to him, named his own personal queer heroes, and, of course, told us exactly what it means to him to be able to his use platform for good.
Using his platform for good has been a 'dream come true' for Berk
If you've seen even one episode of Netflix's "Queer Eye," you know that resident design expert Bobby Berk has a big heart. It's what immediately endears everyone to him, and it's what makes him perfect for television, especially in a time when we could all use the extra love and encouragement. It should come as no surprise, then, that Berk loves using his platform for good.
"To be able to use our 'celebrity' to get awareness out there has been a dream come true," Berk told us. "I never thought I'd be able to have this type of reach to really help change minds and policy and the direction of our country." In fact, he noted one way in which the team may have made an impact on the 2020 election cycle. "It's a bit of a coincidence that every state we filmed in turned blue in the last election. I'm not saying we had everything to do with that, but it's kind of a cool coincidence."
"Missouri didn't, but we were in Kansas City, Kansas as well, and they got a Democratic governor and I believe Democratic governor and Congressman, which was the first in a very, very long time," Berk continued. "We're very proud of that and we hope that we've had a little bit to do with it. It's insane that we're able to help move the needle politically."
You can catch Bobby Berk in Netflix's "Queer Eye." At the same time, Lowe's is accepting nominations for its Hometown Grants Program with Berk through April 4.