Ginger's Lesbian Podcast

What does it look like to find your people after you've already been through it? In this episode, Lisa is joined by Angelah Rose, Sophie Parker and Natalie Hird - three humans who all found each other in under six months, in the middle of a Pinot Noir tasting in the Gibbston Valley in New Zealand, on a Monday afternoon with the sun out. As you do. But underneath the laughs and the wine, this conve...

Lisa is beginning a month of campervanning the South Island for a run of Ginger's events, and her friend Jo has pulled up alongside her in her own wee camper in Picton for the first week. Jo is a nurse, a single mum of three, and a late-diagnosed AuDHD legend who somehow said yes to a week away with about two days' notice. With a whiskey poured and the kids safely at home, they get into it...

Amy Simon’s is a queer police officer based in Invercargill - which is, as she'll tell you, about as far south as New Zealand goes. In this episode we get into what life on the frontline actually looks like: the shift work, the heavy jobs, the moments that stay with you, and the quiet art of not bringing it all home. We also talk about being out and queer in both a small city and a traditionally t...

This week Lisa sits down with Ting Zhang - former Global Product Lead at Google, aerial acrobat, and self-described "ting of all trades" - who walked away from her dream life in New York City and never looked back. Ting brings the Google philosophy of failing fast to the conversation and honestly, it's a game changer. The idea is simple but powerful - stop waiting for the perfect pla...

This episode is proudly sponsored by Extreme Edge Hamilton. You wanted animals, and not the fluffy version. This week I’m joined by Sian Liversage and Michelle Lindson, two former zookeepers from the UK now working in conservation in New Zealand. We get into what zoo life is really like, the shift into conservation, and the parts of the job that aren’t easy to sit with. We talk big cats, hyenas (w...

A room full of lesbians, politicians and activists fresh off the Wellington Pride Parade… and a live conversation that got very real, very quickly. This episode of the Ginger’s Podcast was recorded live at Zealandia Ecosanctuary during the official afterparty for the historic Wellington Pride Parade. Our  Leading with Resilience  panel brings together three powerful voices to talk about what it ac...

In this episode of Ginger’s Podcast, Lisa is joined by  Dr. Mallory Kremer, a board-certified OB-GYN  who taught at the University of Washington, previously lived in Seattle, and now lives the quiet surf life, practicing in Tairāwhiti / Gisborne in Aotearoa New Zealand. They work through a series of anonymous listener questions covering the things many people wonder about but don’t always feel com...

Before we jump in, we want to acknowledge the moment this episode was recorded. Our Bay of Plenty community here in New Zealand was just about to enter a state of emergency followed by tragic landslides in Papamoa and on Mauao. Lives were lost and many families were affected. Our heartfelt aroha goes out to everyone impacted. In today’s kōrero, Lisa is joined by Shannon - a London-based CEO in a h...

It’s 2026, and if the year already feels loud, overwhelming, or a bit heavy - you’re not imagining it. This felt like the right conversation to begin with. Not about goals. Not about self-improvement. And definitely not about shrinking yourself to fit someone else’s idea of 'better.' This episode is about how we live in our bodies in a world that keeps telling us they’re not enough. Lisa i...

Final Episode of 2025! For the final Ginger’s podcast episode of 2025, the mic gets turned around. Long-time Ginger’s crew member  Ayesha Kee  steps in as guest host, sitting down with  Lisa, creator and founder of Ginger’s , to reflect on what the past 16 months have been. Since launching, Ginger’s has completed  16 events across 8 cities , hosted  2 Bush Camps ,  2 boat parties , released  16 po...

In this Episode, Lisa is joined by  Lauren Craig , co-leader of the  Young Green Party of New Zealand , climate justice advocate and trans woman, alongside  Maka Annandale , a takatāpui transmasc artist, Bush Camp ranger, and trusted community voice, to talk about trans lives in Aotearoa and the real impact of recent government decisions. The conversation centres on the New Zealand Government’s ba...

Lez be honest… at this point,  everyone  has watched  The Ultimatum: Queer Love . We’ve all binged it, yelled at the TV, formed strong opinions about people we’ve never met, and pretended we weren’t emotionally invested. So now it’s finally time to get the behind-the-scenes tea straight from the source -  Marita Prodger  herself. Lisa and guest host Lana Searle - National Host of More FM Breakfast...

Broadcaster and wellness advocate Dani Fennessy joins Lisa for a conversation about the kind of heartbreak that doesn’t just end a relationship, but the kind that unravels an identity. They talk about staying in jobs, friendships, relationships or routines long after your body has already packed its bag and left. Tha quiet, restless feeling before burnout, before heartbreak, where your gut knows b...

Our guest this week, Tory Whanau, made history as the first Māori mayor of Wellington - New Zealand’s capital city - and quickly discovered that female, indigenous leadership at the top came with a price. In this episode, she speaks candidly with Lisa and guest host Arpége about navigating public life as an Indigenous woman, the emotional toll of constant scrutiny and online harassment, and the re...

BBC award-winning actor and writer  Victoria Broom  joins us for a no-filter chat about queer roles, visibility, and lesbian life in London. From singing Dolly Parton backstage with Lynda Carter on the  Wonder Woman 1984  set to the messy, funny realities of love and identity - this one’s got lotsa heart, humour, and a tea filled stories. From London to the back arse of the world in New Zealand, ...

World BMX champ Jessie Smith joins Lisa and Cassie to talk about life in the fast lane, the crashes that nearly broke her, and how slowing down led her straight to her people. From high-performance sport to high-camp weekends, Jessie opens up about mental health, queer identity, and what it really takes to rebuild when your whole world’s been speed-wobbled. It’s a reminder that when your identity...

Connection is everything. In love. At work. At play. Everywhere. In this episode, host Cassie Roma is joined by her bestie, documentarian Mandy Kupenga (director & producer of Heal the Hauraki), for a wholesome kōrero on the value of connection in the queer community. Expect a few laughs, deep chats, some special moments, and beautiful Bush Camp memories woven in along the way.

In this episode, Cassie and Lisa have a yarn about queer life in the workplace - from why so many of us end up working solo to how lesbian-led and gender minority initiatives are often last in line for funding. Expect a classic Lisa rant, some grounding insight from Cassie, and a few good reminders that you’re not imagining it - it really is harder for us out here. But we’ve got each other, and th...

And description to be this : In this week’s episode, award-winning Hollywood actor Mandahla Rose (she/they) opens up about her journey - from being raised in Adelaide by two progressive nuns, to carving out a career in LA spotlighting queer stories. She shares how it felt to win Best Actress at the 2024 Hollywood International Diversity Film Festival for The Paradise Road, and what it’s like navig...

Recorded live in Tāmaki Makaurau, this special episode brings together a panel of wāhine who know how to speak up, show up, and call it like it is. Green Party Co-Leader and honorary ally, the Hon. Marama Davidson, joins Lana Searle (More FM Breakfast), broadcaster, community leader Mandy Kupenga, advocate for women’s fitness spaces Sophie Parker and Ginger’s podcast co-host Cassie Roma for an hou...

Cassie and Lisa sit down for an open and honest kōrero about neurodivergence, and ADHD in particular - from growing up undiagnosed to finding language, tools, and self-compassion later in life. They talk about what it’s like navigating the world as neurodivergent wāhine within the rainbow community, the pressure to mask, and the power of unmasking in spaces that feel safe. Real, reflective, and a...

This week, Lisa and Cassie chat with the absolute legend Emily C Browning - a producer, DJ, and musical wizard from Aotearoa who’s collabed with the brains behind Maroon 5, Dua Lipa, and Shawn Mendes. The convo goes rogue (as expected): a little sapphic pop culture, a little chaos, and a few confessions we maybe should’ve edited out... but didn’t. You’re welcome! Find out more about Emily and foll...

"Arpége Uncovers the Māori Lunar Calendar’s Secret to Better Health!" In this week’s episode of Ginger’s, Lisa and Cassie catch up with the incredible Arpége Taratoa-Rangikura from Hot Mess Events. Arpége shares her journey with Cycle Syncing and the Maramataka (Māori lunar calendar), and how it’s been a total game-changer for her health and life. Expect a few ‘that’s what she said’ moments as we...

The Ginger's Podcast has taken flight! In this episode, hosts Cassie Roma & Lisa Rooney dive into the backstory of New Zealand's most popular Lesbian Pop-Up Events & give insights into their backstories as well. Sit back, relax, & enjoy this queer-AF chat!

In this episode, Māori therapist and neurodivergent specialist Jemma Bennett brings clarity, warmth, and straight-up emotional intelligence to two huge conversations:  Neurodivergence  and  Bisexuality . We look at what late diagnosis really feels like - the relief, the grief, the 'oh… that explains my whole childhood' moments - and how masking, shame, and perfectionism have shaped so many neurodi...