Growing Up Ernie, interview with Kvon Zand.

Salomey, this is Leila Shams, host of Choyin Conversation.

Kavan Zand is a nightlife personality and musician living in New York City and goes by the pronouns he or they.

I've been a fan for years and love their extravagant and very extra style.

In the past year, Kavon has been turning their attention to Iranians in Iran and holding live discussions with them about a variety of topics, most notably how life is like for members

of the LGBTQ plus community in Iran. I sit in on them every once in a while,

and the discussions are often quite fascinating. Since the beginning of the Zanzendigy Ozadi

movement also, Kavan has been really vocal in connecting this movement with the cause of queer rights

in Iran, and showing how they are inextricably linked. I will say this was the longest interview

I've done because I both love talking to Kvon and hearing his perspective and because I had so

many questions about his relationship to Iranian culture, the language, but also about the history of

the LGBTQ plus community in Iran and how things have changed and how they haven't.

Anyhow, I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. There is quite a bit of spilling of chai in it.

Enjoy. Kvon Zan, thank you so much for talking with me today. It's such a pleasure to meet you.

Yeah, it's really great to be here. I'm excited to spill some

tea. Yes, yes. Some chai. Okay, we can talk about everything, whatever you're comfortable with

talking about. I'm super excited to talk to you. I've been following you for a long time. I came

across your work and I absolutely loved everything that you do. I love your energy. I love your

personality, everything about it.

And I sent you a message that I'd sent you a few years ago about you getting me interested

in the Zen Dynasty. So after I first learned about you, I started looking it up. And so I'm

really curious to hear about your upbringing, about your knowledge of the Zen Dynasty,

...