We Want the Airwaves: QPOC Artists on the Rise

Is it possible to make art and make rent without compromising your values? Since 2013, Nia King has been interviewing queer and trans artists of color to find out. Here's what she learned. Read the transcripts at scribd.com/artactivistnia. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. Logo by Joamette Gil.

123: Abdi Nazemian 04/06/2025

123: Abdi Nazemian Gay Iranian author Abdi Nazemian joins Nia to drop some intergenerational wisdom. We dive deep into his queer young adult novels: Desert Echoes, about addiction and grief; Only This Beautiful Moment, about three generations (two queer) of an Iranian family; and Like A Love Story, about coming of age at the height of the AIDS epidemic. In the process, he explains what it was like growing up in the '80s, why he's grateful to an ex for forcing him out of the closet, and how Madonna saved his life. Transcript available . /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/35822505

122: Lamya H. 03/02/2025

122: Lamya H. Lamya H., the author of Hijab Butch Blues (she/they) is a bit of an enigma. In the memoir (and this interview), she never reveals which South Asian country she was born in or which Middle Eastern country she grew up in, and Lamya H. is a pen name. However, the book is not sparse on details when it comes to their experiences of racism, sexism, homophobia, and Islamophobia, or in chronicling their attempts to find and/or build progressive queer Muslim community in the U.S. after moving here for college. In this interview, we discuss her love of sports, the power of interracial Muslim friendships, and passages from the Quran around which she structured her story. Read the transcript at . Support the podcast at . /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/35398420

121: Tan Hoang 01/05/2025

121: Tan Hoang Comedian discusses moving from Vietnam to the Philly suburbs at age 9, transitioning at acting school, and how training as an actor made her a better stand-up. She also tells stories of hosting Pride events in small towns, being recognized when she's out with her mom, and being a "peacocky-ass kid" and an aspiring rock star in a dying genre. If you live near Philly, catch her at on the last Tuesday of every month! Photo by Casey O'Donnell. Transcript available at thanks to transcriber Amirah Mizrahi! /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/34666080

120: Jonny Garza Villa 12/01/2024

120: Jonny Garza Villa Jonny Garza Villa (they/them), author of three young adult novels, discusses growing up queer and Mexican in a small Texas town, how getting into astrology helped them develop characters, and how pettiness can serve as inspiration. This is a deep dive into their books Fifteen Hundred Miles from the Sun (2021), Ander + Santi Were Here (2023), and Canto Contigo (2024), with a teaser for their forthcoming adult novel Futbolista at the end. Transcript available at thanks to transcriber Amirah Mizrahi! /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/34205300

119: Sonora Reyes 08/04/2024

119: Sonora Reyes Growing up, reading and writing were things that made Sonora Reyes feel "dumb" in school. So how did they get from there to writing the Lamba Literary Award-winning, National Book Award-nominated Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School? In this interview, Sonora discusses healing their relationship to writing through fanfiction, growing up with a combination of brown pride and gay shame, and receiving an autism diagnosis later in life. Listen to the interview at qtpocart.libsyn.com. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. Read the transcript . Support the podcast . /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/32349552

118: Queer & Trans Comics & Zines 04/14/2024

118: Queer & Trans Comics & Zines A panel featuring four of Nia King's favorite artists: , Joe Hatton, , and . Zines played a crucial role in reducing social isolation for many of us, whether we were one of the only punks of color in our scene (Nia in Boston, Joe in the Dakotas, and Vo in Sydney, Australia), or the only gay in our rural Virginia town (Sawyer). Cristy C. Road discusses growing up in Miami's predominantly Black and brown punk scene and using zines to process heartbreak and trauma. Other important zinesters that received shout-outs (or should have include): the this list truly never ends. Shout out to Amirah Mizrahi for the and Maliha Ahmed for running tech. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/30814058

117: Ten Year Anniversary Episode, pt. 1 04/02/2023

117: Ten Year Anniversary Episode, pt. 1 celebrates 10 years with a panel featuring six of the artists from : , , , , , and ! (This is the first part of a two-part episode, so you will only hear Ant, Kamal, and Jo on it.) This panel is co-hosted by Maliha Ahmed, co-editor of , and sponsored by the Aydelotte Foundation, Black Studies, Film & Media Studies, and the Libraries at Swarthmore College. Art by Gabriela Riveros and Dan Nosheny. Tune back in next month for part two! Read the transcript . Support the podcast . /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/26420334

116: No Hay Tos 11/25/2021

116: No Hay Tos In this very special CROSSOVER episode, I interview the hosts of the Mexican podcast No Hay Tos (in English after they interviewed me for their own show in Spanish). Beto and Héctor, both long-time Spanish teachers, discuss their own language-learning journey, what they love about podcasting, and some of the challenges of teaching. Check out their podcast at nohaytospodcast.com. Read the transcript of this interview at scribd.com/artactivistnia. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/21254981

115: Simi Kadirgamar 03/08/2021

115: Simi Kadirgamar Sri Lankan-American Tamil trans woman reporter and martial artist Simi Kadirgamar is the guest on this month's podcast episode. In it, we discuss her reported/illustrated zine on the Indian and Pakistani occupation of Kashmir, a family that peddles Brazilian Jiu-jitsu training to police all over the world, and why she chose hate groups and the far-right as her beat. Shout out to my BFF Amirah for introducing me to this amazing woman! Read the transcript at scribd.com/artactivistnia. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/18227429

114: Briyana D. Clarel 03/01/2021

114: Briyana D. Clarel Singer, dancer, actor: Briyana Clarel is a triple threat! In this episode, the Black, nonbinary theater artist discusses growing up in South Jersey, racism at Princeton, and learning to love musical theater, sketch comedy, and a capella. Read the transcripts at scribd.com/artactivistnia. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/18131978

113: Princess Harmony 10/18/2020

113: Princess Harmony Afro-Latina trans woman essayist Princess Harmony stops by the podcast to discuss her writing for Black Girl Dangerous, Wear Your Voice and Workers World. We also discuss what's missing in reporting about the opioid pandemic, the different types of medication-assisted treatment available and whether rehab is a scam. Read the transcript at scribd.com/artactivistnia. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/16449689

112: Gabriela Watson-Burkett, pt 2 09/21/2020

112: Gabriela Watson-Burkett, pt 2 In part two of my interview with Afro-Peruvian Brazilian filmmaker Gabriela Watson-Burkett, we discuss her second film, Baobab Flowers and her new organization, Presente! Media. Baobab Flowers follows the parallel lives of two Black women educators, one who lives and teaches in São Paulo, Brazil and another who lives and teaches in Philly. At the end, we discuss the new media org Gabriela co-founded with two other Latina media-makers. We also talk about anti-Blackness and colonial legacies in Brazil. Read the transcript at scribd.com. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/16086284

111: Gabriela Watson-Burkett 09/06/2020

111: Gabriela Watson-Burkett Filmmaker and producer Gabriela Watson-Burkett makes work to connect people across the African diaspora. Her first film, Nosotros Afroperuanos, discusses Black history in Peru and its erasure. Her second film, Baobab Flowers, draws parallels between a Black woman educator in São Paulo, Brazil and a Black woman educator in Philadelphia. Her most recent project, ¡Presente! Media, is an activist media organization she co-founded with two other Latinas. In part one of this two-part interview, we discuss her experience growing up Afro-Peruvian in Brazil and covering Brazil's immigrant communities as part of one of her (many) internships in broadcast journalism. Keep an ear out for part two, coming later this month! (Photo by Scott Burkett) Read the transcript at scribd.com/artactivistnia. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/15907769

110: Mike Watkins and Teresa Ellis 08/17/2020

110: Mike Watkins and Teresa Ellis How has coronavirus impacted the fitness industry? In this episode Nia chats with two queer Black business owners, athletic trainer Mike Watkins and Pilates instructor Teresa Ellis, to find out. They also discuss creating fat-positive fitness spaces, working with disabled clients, and ways they try to make their services accessible to low-income folks who want to work out. Read the transcript at scribd.com/artactivistnia. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/15631541

109: Fèini Yĭn 08/02/2020

109: Fèini Yĭn At the intersection of political art and environmental science, queer nonbinary Chinese-American Fèini Yĭn is a celestial presence in a static world. Their work ranges from enthralling pieces in The New York Times, to art processions designed to shake up science communities, to short stop-motion films about the natural world — a praxis that challenges the status quo and engages the people, cuts out the traumatic edges of displacement and reanimates them for a new world. Nia chatted with Fèini about the mash-up of art, activism and the radical implications of an expansive view of the scientific. (Episode description written by Alex Smith. Photo by Kieran Alessi) Read the transcription at scribd.com/artactivistnia. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/15447983

108: Anna Vo 06/01/2020

108: Anna Vo To say that Vo, a nonbinary trans masc Vietnamese immigant, is an artist is to dance to the arrhythmic tune of understatement: they are a traveler, social worker, and wizened anarchist soul who not only dabbles in various artistic media, but transforms each discipline they encounter. Their galvanizing work in the zine underground with the international BIPOC [Black/Indigenous/People of Color] zine "Fix My Head" and the political perzine "The Swan, the Vulture," in comics, contemporary visual art, experimental fabric manipulation, and their ever-evolving musical explorations with textural metal-inspired folk, is astonishing. Vo brings their experience as an activist to their work, imbuing their many endeavors with radicalism, emotional intensity, and humor, all hallmarks of a wandering spirit whose work leaves a lasting impact on those touched by it. Nia sat down with Vo and explored the chaos, beauty, and radical potential of living an eclectic life shaped and molded by all things. (copy written by Alex Smith, alexoteric.com) Read the transcript at scribd.com/artactivistnia. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/14641247

107: Ignacio Rivera 05/10/2020

107: Ignacio Rivera Black Boricua Taíno queer and trans artist Ignacio Rivera is a poet, performer and activist working to end child sexual abuse, or CSA. They are also a grandparent. In this interview, featuring their baby grandson, Ignacio discusses growing up in Brooklyn, becoming politicized in Massachusetts, and the connections between sexual liberation and ending CSA. Read the transcript at scribd.com/artactivistnia. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/14360429

106: Suzy X 04/19/2020

106: Suzy X Bisexual Latina writer, comics artist and musician Suzy X has gone from making zines to drawing comics for to writing for (RIP) to being the Latin music editor at in the short time (approx. 7 years) I've known her, and I cannot think of anyone more deserving of this success. In this interview we discuss her zines and , illustrating her first graphic novel, and the challenges of working in media as a young woman of color. Photo by Ebru Yildiz. Read the transcript at . Support the podcast at . /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/14048681

105: Rahul Mehta 03/09/2020

105: Rahul Mehta Queer Indian-American author discusses his award-winning collection of short stories, Quarantine; growing up Asian in Appalachia; and how LGBTQ audiences in India have received his work. We also try to sort out why he's so drawn to unlikeable protagonists. Photo by Matthew Hamilton. Read the transcript at . Support the podcast at . /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/13453094

104: Alex Smith 02/03/2020

104: Alex Smith Alex Smith is a queer, Black sci-fi writer, musician and visual artist. In this interview, we discuss his collection of short stories, , as well as his many influences, ranging from Public Enemy to Nirvana and Marvel Comics to the Black Panther Party. Photo by Shane Jenkins. Read the transcript at . Support the podcast at . /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/12978500

103: BL Shirelle 12/16/2019

103: BL Shirelle BL Shirelle of Die Jim Crow Records discusses the challenges of recording and releasing music by incarcerated artists. She also shares stories of dealing drugs, doing time and raising kids with her wife. (Photo by Verse.) Support the podcast at . Transcript coming soon. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/12401411

102: Oliver Spencer / St. Sol 11/03/2019

102: Oliver Spencer / St. Sol Black queer Philadelphia-based musician and visual artist (known musically as ) discusses growing up between North Carolina and Okinawa, how their dad's military service impacted their life, and finding the space to be weird in (an arts) high school. We also talk about the whiteness of art school(s), not letting perfectionism hold you back, and using music to assert your humanity. Photo by Georgia Wescott. Read the transcript at . Support the podcast at . /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/11890739

101: Joyce Hatton 10/13/2019

101: Joyce Hatton Black asexual zinester and cartoonist discusses their comic Locks and their zines Trust the Knife and Grief. Joyce is a survivor of breast cancer, homelessness, and a suicide attempt, so this episode gets pretty heavy. We also talk about the concept of "trauma porn" (which is not actual porn), when illustrations come easier than words, and their love of birds. Here is a link to the I reference in this episode. Buy Joyce's work . You can support the podcast at . Transcript coming soon. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/11615906

August 2019 announcements 08/05/2019

August 2019 announcements 1.) I'm taking a break from the podcast. I'll be back in October. 2.) I'm moving to Philly. Please hit my up if you have leads on any jobs! 3.) The for Queer & Trans Artists of Color, Volume 3 is October 19th at East Bay Booksellers in Oakland, featuring , and . PLEASE so we can hire ASL interpreters for the event. Thank you! <3 <3 <3 Launch party GoFundMe: /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/10773515

100: Mey Rude 07/05/2019

100: Mey Rude Bisexual trans Latina writer Mey Rude discusses growing up in Idaho, getting kicked out of her church family, and how comics helped her find her queer- and trans-ness. Read the transcript at . Support the podcast at . /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/10409768

99: Aja Archuleta 06/10/2019

99: Aja Archuleta Two-Spirit mestiza musician Aja Archuleta discusses growing up in a big Mexican family with deep Denver roots, discovering her Indigenous identity, and why "Two-Spirit" now fits her better than "trans". She also shares how her love of music evolved: from playing piano in Catholic school to discovering the how much fun noise-punk could be to making massage music. Photo by Kristin Cofer. Read the transcript at . Support the podcast at . /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/10105417

98: Kyle Casey Chu 05/06/2019

98: Kyle Casey Chu Queer Chinese-American drag queen, filmmaker, and musician, talks growing up in SF, touring the South in a punk band, and changing media representations of Asian-American men. Photo by Vincent Flores. Read the transcript at scribd.com/artactivistnia. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/9564779

97: 6 Year Anniversary Episode! 04/08/2019

97: 6 Year Anniversary Episode! Acclaimed author and artist Luna Merbruja interviews me (Nia King) about my pre-podcast life as zinester and cartoonist, turning the podcast into a book, and how the QTPOC art world has changed since We Want the Airwaves began six years ago. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/9205124

96: The Lady Ms. Vagina Jenkins 03/04/2019

96: The Lady Ms. Vagina Jenkins Black queer femme Southerner The Lady Ms. Vagina Jenkins may be best known as a burlesque performer, but she's also a stand-up comic, filmmaker, and taxidermist. In this interview, she discusses growing up working-class in the country, starting sex work after finishing college, and moving to the Bay (nearly ten years ago) to pursue greater artistic opportunities. Read the interview at scribd.com/artactivistnia. Support the podcast at patreon.com/artactivistnia. /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/8860877

95: Breena Nuñez and Lawrence Lindell 02/14/2019

95: Breena Nuñez and Lawrence Lindell Queer Black and brown punk weirdos in love! In this episode, Breena Nuñez and Lawrence Lindell, both cartoonists, musicians, and educators, tell the story of how they met and how the places they grew up shaped them. They also discuss getting what you need out of art school DESPITE the faculty and administration, making a living off of art (but pursuing higher education to make a living as teachers), and their "gateway" comics and punk bands. To see some of Breena’s comics about their Afrolatinx experience, and learn more about their work: To see Lawrence’s affirming comics about queerness and Blackness: Read the transcript at . Support the podcast at . /episode/index/show/qtpocart/id/8647064

We Want the Airwaves: QPOC Artists on the Rise

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