The QQandA’s Podcast Season 1 & 2

Host Anna Deshawn kicks off season two of Cube Q&A with the Ethnic Rainbow Alliance, featuring intimate conversations about identity, community, and activism.

Listeners will hear personal stories, practical insights, and bold ideas for creating more inclusive spaces.

Family, this is Anna Deshawn, and this is season two of Cube Q&A by Ethnic Rainbow Alliance. Let's go.

Season 2, Episode 9 of QQ&A explores how cultural background shapes queer identity in Aotearoa. Guests Gigi, Sahana, and Kamal share lived experiences  from Pacific and Asian what joy and solidarity is 

The conversation centers on holding relationships as sacred, respecting cultural protocols, the need for inclusion in rainbow spaces, and practical steps like listening, education, and fair pay for cultural work. The episode highlights resilience, community care, and reclaiming belonging across cultures

Episode 8 of QQ&A season 2 explores the mental health experiences of queer people of colour in Aotearoa, featuring candid conversations with Vaibhav, Rika and Muoosh about identity, isolation and resilience.

Guests share coping strategies like peer support, therapy, creative expression and chosen family, and call for culturally sensitive services, representation and stronger community connections.

This episode highlights how belonging, kindness and lived experience-driven support can protect and heal rainbow communities from diverse ethnic backgrounds.

This made by Ethnic Rainbow Alliance.org.nz with the support of Rule Foundation and Foundation North

Season 2, Episode 10 of QQ&A features Kos, Zee and Vaibhav as they explore how cultural backgrounds shape life as queer people of colour living in Aotearoa. Guests reflect on migration, belonging, and the ongoing work of reclaiming heritage.

Conversations cover personal stories—Kos on blending traditional attire and gender identity, Zee on family ties and diasporic identity, and Vaibhav on food, language and resilience—and offer practical ideas for making rainbow communities more inclusive and respectful.

A thoughtful, concise discussion about identity, belonging, and creating culturally-aware queer spaces in Aotearoa.

Episode 5, "Building Community," features Augustina, Vaibhav Gupta and Sahana Rahman discussing how to build strong, supportive spaces for ethnic and SOGIESC BIPOC communities in Aotearoa.

and practical ideas such as presence and accountability, creating "third places", prioritising safety, and using activity-based workshops to help people "de-mask" and connect.

Made by Ethnic Rainbow Alliance.org.nz

With the support of Rule foundation and Foundation North

Episode 4 of QQ&A Season 2 brings together Zee, Rika, and Komal to explore what it takes to build strong, supportive rainbow communities for ethnic and BIPOC people in Aotearoa. They share personal stories and practical ideas for creating safer, more inclusive spaces.

Highlights include calls for representation and collective care, suggestions like shared meals and film events to foster intercultural connection, and the importance of education, empathy, and active collaboration across cultural groups.

Welcome to Season Two, Episode Seven of QQ&A by Ethnic Rainbow Alliance. In this episode, three guests—Augustina, Sahana, and Zee—share how their ethnic and queer identities have shaped their mental health journeys.

They discuss experiences of coming out, family rejection, homelessness, and the healing power of art, routines, therapy and community connection. The conversation highlights practical coping strategies and the urgent need for accessible, culturally informed support.

Episode 6 of Season 2 of QQ&A features three guests—Richard, Koss, and Muoosh—sharing personal stories about building supportive LGBTQI communities in Tāmaki and Aotearoa. Conversations explore inclusive sport and the New Zealand Falcons, cultural identity and representation, and the importance of safety, peer support, and cross-cultural collaboration.

Produced by Ethnic Rainbow Alliance and supported by Foundation North and rule Foundation.

This episode brings together two distinctive voices for a conversation about belonging, care, and leadership across cultures. (Mushami Das) is a Malaysian-born dermatologist in Hamilton, with Indian heritage and a Sikh/Hindu and. China González is a Tāmaki Makaurau based Mexican comedian, performer, producer, and award-winning drag

king. Their passion for comedy and the representation of migrant and Latine voices has led them to produce and perform shows in every edition of the NZICF since 2016, ranging from line up

stand up shows, multilingual Armando formats, and their one-hour solo show, ‘Better Than

Tacos’, which was performed both in English and Spanish to sold-out audiences. They are

the founder and director of Spanglish Comedy and a co-founder of Laenye Productions and are currently undergoing a Master's degree in Participatory Arts at Queen Margaret's University in Edinburgh.

This episode brings together two distinctive voices for a conversation about belonging, care, and leadership across cultures. (Mushami Das) is a Malaysian-born dermatologist in Hamilton, with Indian heritage and a Sikh/Hindu and. China González is a Tāmaki Makaurau based Mexican comedian, performer, producer, and award-winning drag

king. Their passion for comedy and the representation of migrant and Latine voices has led them to produce and perform shows in every edition of the NZICF since 2016, ranging from line up

stand up shows, multilingual Armando formats, and their one-hour solo show, ‘Better Than

Tacos’, which was performed both in English and Spanish to sold-out audiences. They are

the founder and director of Spanglish Comedy and a co-founder of Laenye Productions and are currently undergoing a Master's degree in Participatory Arts at Queen Margaret's University in Edinburgh.