Welcome to the
Ethnic Rainbow Alliance
ERA (Ethnic Rainbow Alliance) is an LGBTQIA+ organisation that aspires to create meaningful, authentic, and fair relationships within Community Organisations, Government Agencies, and Non-profit Organisations.
Our Board
Sidney Wong
Chair
Sidney Gig-Jan Wong 黃吉贊 (he/any) was born in Te Awa Kairangi ki Tai. His ancestral villages are in Szeyap, Dunggun, and Fatsaan. Sidney has familial links to Hong Kong and Macau. He now lives in Ōtautahi with his partner. In the community, Sidney advocates for and supports LGBTQIA+ communities across Aotearoa through his role as chair of the Ethnic Rainbow Alliance and Qtopia. He is also part of the governance boards for the Christchurch Heroes, Bad Apple Gay, and the Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Health Advisory Group (CHAG) at Pegasus Health. Sidney has a broad range of professional interests with an academic background in linguistics and data science. He is a community advocate and researcher. Sidney is currently working towards a PhD in Linguistics with funding from the Geospatial Research Institute at the University of Canterbury. He previously worked at Stats NZ as a Senior Design Analyst – Te Ara Takatū working alongside hapū, iwi, and Māori across Aotearoa to support their data needs and aspirations.
Shay Singh
Trustee & Co-founder
I am passionate about creating a safe space for the ethnic rainbow community – something we desperately need. I want to connect with our communities to help make sure we all feel connected and supported. I am also the co-founder and current Chair of Indian Origin Pride New Zealand where I lead a team that puts rainbow people of Indian origin in Aotearoa at the forefront of our work. We will strive to make sure we can be proud of our genders, sexualities, cultures, and heritage – so these things do not have to exist in isolation. I was born in Fiji and moved to New Zealand when I was 13 years old. I lived in Auckland until my mid-20s and I have spent most of the last 20 years in Australia. I moved back to New Zealand in early 2021. I have 15 years of experience across the fields of sustainability including green buildings, sustainability finance, and working with local governments. I have worked in senior management roles for the past five years, focusing on organisational development and growth as well as working with and advising boards.
Michelle Mascoll
Secretary & Co-founder
Londoner of Afro-Caribbean descent. Based in Auckland. An active member of the community. Currently the Vice President of the Waitakere Ethnic Board Founder of Same Same But Black, co-founder of Ethnic Rainbow Alliance and the Black Sound society. Passion for a better outcome
Rafiqah Abdullah Sulaiman
Board Member
Rafiqah is a Filipina trans woman (she/her) based in Tamaki Makaurau (Auckland) since 2002. Currently also part of Rainbow Path and the Rainbow Violence Prevention Network. She is a social justice advocate focused on addressing mental health disparities, LGBTQIA+ rights, anti-racism and xenophobia, and promoting equity for all.
Dr Camille Nakhid
Board Member
Dr. Camille Nakhid is an Associate Professor at the AUT School of Social Sciences and Public Policy. She has done extensive research into Māori and Pasifika educational achievement; family and community among Pasifika youth; factors impacting migrant resettlement; and culturally relevant research methodologies. She was the inaugural Chairperson of the Auckland Council’s Ethnic People’s Advisory Panel. She has held several voluntary roles in community and public sector boards. She chairs AUT’s Pacific Media Centre Advisory Board and the Migrant Action Trust. She is the founder and band manager of the Caribbean Southern Stars Steelband and a member of the Executive Advisory Board of the African Communities Forum. Recently leading work and research of Ethnic Rainbow Communities in Aotearoa.
Nishhza Thiruselvam
Board Member
Kia ora! I am a Malaysian born Tamil with ancestry tracing back to Jaffna, Sri Lanka and Tanjavour in India’s southernmost state of Tamil Nadu. I am the proud daughter of migrant parents and an older sibling to my brilliant big hearted little sister. My work has always been grounded in the community, and my skillsets are mainly in research and in education. I am a qualified high school teacher, though in the past year, I worked as a community researcher in the Rainbow sexual health and violence prevention sector. I also recently finished a role as a graduate teaching assistant with the school of Population Health. As long as I find myself working alongside my communities, my heart is happy.
With thanks to our sponsors
© Ethnic Rainbow Alliance 2024