Quilted Bananas Radio

Peter Rule Fund recipient 2020, 2023, 2024 & 2025

Quilted Bananas has been an iconic part of the rainbow community in Wellington for over 40 years! With funding from the Rule Foundation, Quilted Bananas was continue their work of providing radio be and for the community, with 52 episodes a year, airing every Sunday.

Called Quilted Bananas as many of the listeners “identify as Nanas—homebodies who find joy in creating a space for diverse queer voices to be heard” according to one of the long standing volunteers. 

The show features an eclectic mix of guests and topics, all from a queer, intersectional perspective, exploring everything from ADHD management with experts to a rock opera about Lizzie Borden.

“Because our show runs for an hour, we can dive deep into subjects that matter, without the need to explain gender or sexuality 101. Our listeners are all queer, so we don’t have to start with the basics—we can get straight into meaningful, nuanced conversations. We design episodes around specific themes, like a takatāpui-focused show featuring music and food, or an episode with the BDSM community about consent, which sparked important conversations around shared values in wider society.”

Over the years, Quilted Bananas has evolved from the Lesbian Community Program, and now includes a team of nine regular hosts and technical operators, often working in pairs to bring listeners the stories that matter.