WUSB Launches New Show, ‘Rainbow Talks,’ Centering Queer Joy and Community

Stony Brook's WUSB 90.1/107.3 FM has launched its newest radio show: Rainbow Talks. The show, hosted by Rosanna Cuttone, coordinator of the LGBTQ+ Center in the Department of Diversity, Intercultural and Community Engagement (DICE), aims to reframe how LGBTQ+ stories are told on campus by putting authenticity at the center.

Each episode features conversations with LGBTQ+ students, staff, faculty and allies about their lives, work and identities, while also highlighting campus resources and community events.

"So often, LGBTQ+ narratives are centered around struggle or policy, which are absolutely important but don't always capture the fullness of who we are," Cuttone said. "I wanted to build something that highlights the joy, identity and creativity that make our community so vibrant."

For the first episode, Cuttone welcomed Aleecea Denton, residence hall director for Chávez Hall. The conversation ranged from student affairs and mentorship to queerness, neurodivergence and navigating a changing political climate.

Denton reflected on her path from studying music education to a career in higher education and residence life, noting that her teacher training continues to shape her work with students every day. She also spoke about coming out at 21 and what representation means to her within professional spaces.

"One of the main things that I like to focus on in terms of my identity is just being authentic, especially when you talk about professionalism," Denton said. "I definitely believe that you can bring as much of yourself to the workplace as you feel comfortable doing."

The episode also addressed the idea of being "gay enough" or "too gay" for certain spaces, with Denton and Cuttone back on narrow definitions of queerness and emphasizing the spectrum of identities and experiences within the community.

Another key theme was neurodivergence and its intersection with qeer identity and student support. Denton, who has Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), shared how understanding her own brain has helped her better support students, including those who are also neurodivergent.

She described concepts such as rejection sensitivity and the value of naming neurodivergent experiences to help students access resources and practice self-compassion.

"It just means that you know this little bit of information and you can navigate things differently because of it," Denton said. "It's a great way to figure out how to navigate differences, and it's really helped me understand how to interact with people who are just different. Definitely a superpower, I would say."

Cuttone echoed that perspective, noting that many students who visit the LGBTQ+ Center are also navigating neurodivergence, and that creating sensory-friendly, welcoming spaces can make difficult conversations more accessible.

For Cuttone, Rainbow Talks serves as an extension on her broader mission at Stony Brook University.

"At its core, SBU Rainbow Talks is about connection," she said. "It creates a space where listeners can hear themselves reflected, feel seen, and learn from others within and beyond the LGBTQ+ community. It also invites allies into that conversation in a meaningful way, helping to build understanding through real, personal stories rather than abstract ideas."

The episode also touched on national trends affecting LGBTQ+ communities, including the rollback of protections and the defunding or closure of LGBTQ+ centers at some institutions. Cuttone and Denton emphasized the importance of New York State's protections, while acknowledging the emotional weight of seeing colleagues elsewhere lose jobs and students lose critical resources.

Despite that backdrop, both framed their work as deliberately hopeful and grounded in daily interactions with students.

Denton described intentionally limiting her news and social media intake in order to preserve the emotional bandwidth needed to show up for students, focusing instead on the "small, tangible wins" in her residence hall and classroom.

"If I get too bogged down in all the things I can't change, it really affects how I show up at work," she said. "Focusing on my interactions with students, on the programs we create, on the growth I see, that's where I know I can make a difference."

Each episode of SBU Rainbow Talks brings together students, professional staff and longtime WUSB community members to explore how identityand work intersect on campus. For guests like Denton, the show becomes both an archive of their stories and a resource for listeners who may be questioning, exploring or simply looking for community.

"Ultimately, I believe this show is important because representation matters, but beyond that, authentic representation matters," Cuttone said. "When people are given the space to show up fully as themselves, it not only empowers them, but it also strengthens the entire community."

-Lily Miller