Ep. 291: Alan Turing Day, Japan's LGBTQ+ Education Win & Florida Fights Back | Pride Day 23

Ep. 291: Alan Turing Day, Japan's LGBTQ+ Education Win & Florida Fights Back | Pride Day 23

SHOW NOTES Episode: Listen Up Girl — Day 23 of Pride | Tuesday, June 23, 2026 Segment 1 — Alan Turing Day Alan Turing (June 23, 1912 – June 7, 1954) was a British mathematician, computer scientist, and codebreaker whose work breaking the Nazi Enigma code at Bletchley Park is credited with significantly shortening World War II. Despite his contributions, he was prosecuted in 1952 under British laws criminalizing homosexuality and subjected to chemical castration. He died in 1954, likely by suicide. He received a posthumous royal pardon from Queen Elizabeth II in 2013. "Turing's Law," passed in 2016, extended posthumous pardons to thousands of other gay and bisexual men convicted under the same abolished laws. His image now appears on the UK's £50 banknote. June 23rd is observed informally as Alan Turing Day.   Segment 2 — Japan's First Nationwide LGBTQ+ Education Program Japan's cabinet formally adopted the country's first-ever nationwide LGBTQ+ awareness and education plan in mid-June 2026, following a 2023 law — the Act on the Promotion of Public Understanding of the Diversity of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity — that required the government to produce a basic plan. The program took three years to finalize due to disagreements between supporters and opponents. Under the plan, schools will receive guidance and resources to better support LGBTQ+ students, with expanded access to counselors and social workers. Universities training future teachers and healthcare workers will update their curricula to include sexual orientation and gender identity content. The government will also produce educational videos, leaflets, and academic research, and will conduct regular surveys to measure the program's impact. Japan remains the only G7 nation without legal same-sex marriage.   Segment 3 — B-Bob's Bar Closes Mid-Pride in Mobile, Alabama B-Bob's Bar, a beloved three-story gay bar in downtown Mobile, Alabama, abruptly closed during Pride Month after questions arose about its liquor license following a January 2026 ownership transfer. Long-time owner Jerry Ehlen had retired, selling the bar to interior designer and influencer Matthew Bees. Under Alabama law, liquor licenses are issued to specific individuals or business entities and do not automatically transfer with a property sale. Bees voluntarily suspended operations after the issue was identified in consultation with the Alabama Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) Board. Planned Pride events — including a drag show expected to draw hundreds as part of Mobile's Pride art walk, and a voter registration block party — were all canceled. Bees has vowed to preserve the bar and reopen as quickly as possible.   Segment 4 — Fort Lauderdale & St. Pete Defy DeSantis' Anti-Rainbow Law Following Gov. Ron DeSantis signing Florida's sweeping anti-DEI law (SB 1134) in April 2026 — which bans local governments from sponsoring or promoting Pride events and allows residents to sue elected officials for violations — two Florida cities found creative legal workarounds to maintain LGBTQ+ visibility. Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis unveiled a rainbow "Circle of Love" display near Sebastian Street Beach. Because the display is installed on private business property rather than city land, current state law cannot force its removal. St. Petersburg had previously installed rainbow-colored bike racks after being forced to remove its rainbow crosswalks, with Mayor Ken Welch calling them "a vibrant way to honor the Pride street murals that were removed." Both cities had their original rainbow crosswalks and murals removed under earlier DeSantis directives.   Segment 5 — NYC Youth Pride NYC Pride's annual Youth Pride event took place June 23, 2026, under the theme "For All of Us" — a reference to a quote widely attributed to Stonewall veteran and trans activist Marsha P. Johnson: "There is no pride for some of us without liberation for all of us." The free, all-ages event featured trans and queer youth advocacy resources, a rally demanding enhanced funding and protections for LGBTQ+ youth, beauty and self-care programming, and closed with "Dance on the Pier" soundtracked by DJ Nikki Jax. NYC Pride has publicly reported a $500,000 budget shortfall this year following the loss of several major corporate sponsors.   Segment 6 — Hayden Panettiere Comes Out Actress Hayden Panettiere — known for her roles in Heroes and Nashville — came out as LGBTQ+ in 2026, joining a growing list of public figures who have shared their identities this year. Panettiere has been open in recent years about personal challenges including postpartum depression and addiction recovery. Her coming out was reported across LGBTQ+ entertainment media in June 2026.   Segment 7 — Jennifer Jenkins Responds to GOP Trans Attack Florida school board member Jennifer Jenkins of Brevard County publicly called out a GOP group backing Florida state senator Mike Haridopolos after they used trans references as a political attack against a Democratic opponent — referring to the opponent as "Dylan Mulvaney." Jenkins responded on social media: the attack contained no policy substance on housing, insurance, or healthcare — just, as she put it, the GOP's "tired obsession with transgender people." Jenkins first gained national attention in 2020 when she defeated Bridget Ziegler, co-founder of anti-LGBTQ+ group Moms for Liberty, for a seat on the Brevard County School Board. She is also the founder of Educated We Stand, focused on countering far-right school board takeovers. Haridopolos was endorsed by the former president and has been described as an "America First Patriot" by his supporters.   Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman https://www.listenupgirl.com/ Follow me at https://www.instagram.com/therealzachre/ Podcast music: https://dillonderosa.com/ Thank you Dillion!!!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ep. 290: Intersex Teacher Fired, HUD Guts Housing Rights, GLAAD AI Report | June 22

Seven stories for Day 22 of Pride Month. An intersex teacher in Florida was fired by his school district and the ACLU is fighting back. HUD is moving to strip LGBTQ+ housing protections from nearly 50 federal programs — and the public comment window closes June 29. GLAAD releases its first-ever AI safety report documenting real and growing harms to queer users. Michael Feinstein and Liza Minnelli drop a Pride anthem. Wendy Makkena comes out. Sarah McBride's landmark documentary is in theaters nationwide. And a second reminder to act before the HUD deadline closes. Story 1 — Intersex Teacher Fired in Florida / ACLU EEOC Filing Shepard Scalf is an intersex man with XY chromosomes who was hired to teach Language Arts to 6th and 7th graders at Patriot Oaks Academy in St. Johns County, Florida for the 2025–26 school year. After disclosing during hiring that he was assigned female at birth, the district fired him. The ACLU and ACLU of Florida filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on his behalf, charging the district with sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as interpreted in Bostock v. Clayton County (2020). Source: ACLU.org Story 2 — HUD Proposes to Gut LGBTQ+ Equal Access Housing Protections On April 28, 2026, the Department of Housing and Urban Development published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking titled "Equal Access to Housing in HUD Programs Revisions" (Docket No. FR-6518-P-01). The proposed rule would remove sexual orientation and gender identity protections from nearly 50 HUD regulations, require shelters to house people based on sex assigned at birth, allow providers to demand anatomical documentation, and preempt conflicting state and local anti-discrimination laws. The public comment period closes June 29, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. Submit comments at regulations.gov or via action tools at GLAAD.org and transequality.org. Sources: Federal Register, GLAAD, NLIHC, National Center for Transgender Equality, HousingWire Story 3 — GLAAD Releases Inaugural AI Safety Report: Build for Everyone GLAAD released Build for Everyone: A Framework for LGBTQ Representation and Safety in AI on June 17, 2026 — the organization's first comprehensive report examining how AI systems impact LGBTQ people across the full AI lifecycle, including foundation model training, content moderation, data privacy, product deployment, and agentic AI. Key findings include GLAAD research showing Meta's Llama 4 model recommended conversion "therapy" in response to queries about same-sex attraction, widespread suppression of legitimate LGBTQ content by automated moderation systems, and major AI platforms storing intimate user data indefinitely by default. The report calls on developers to fix biased training data, protect user privacy, maintain human oversight, and engage LGBTQ communities earlier in product development. Full report available at GLAAD.org. Sources: GLAAD, Axios, Decrypt, Gayety Story 4 — Michael Feinstein & Liza Minnelli Release Pride Anthem "Gaymen" Gaymen was released June 5, 2026, on all major streaming platforms through FeinDaye, the new independent music and entertainment company founded by Grammy-nominated entertainer Michael Feinstein and Broadway performer Bobby Daye (whose credits include Moulin Rouge! The Musical). The song features lead vocals by the duo motherfather and a special appearance by Liza Minnelli, a lifelong icon of LGBTQ+ community support. Sources: PR Newswire, GLAAD Story 5 — Wendy Makkena Comes Out A resurfaced interview clip of actress Wendy Makkena (66), best known as Sister Mary Robert in the Sister Act franchise, began circulating widely in mid-June 2026. In the clip, Makkena reflects on her attraction to women. Source: LGBTQ Nation, June 19, 2026 Story 6 — Sarah McBride Documentary State of Firsts Now in Theaters State of Firsts, directed by Chase Joynt, follows Rep. Sarah McBride's (D-DE) campaign to become the first openly transgender person elected to Congress, through election night and her arrival in Washington amid immediate Republican efforts to bar her from Capitol restrooms. The film opened theatrically June 12, 2026 in Wilmington, Delaware, and has expanded to New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Dallas, San Francisco, and additional cities, with community screenings rolling out nationwide. McBride has stated she hopes the film demonstrates that "representation and effectiveness can go hand in hand." Find screenings at stateoffirstsfilm.com. Sources: 19th News, The Advocate, Deadline, Wikipedia Story 7 — HUD Comment Deadline Reminder (June 29) See Story 2 above. The public comment period on the proposed Equal Access Rule rollback closes June 29, 2026. Submit at regulations.gov (Docket No. FR-6518-P-01) or use action templates at GLAAD.org and transequality.org.     Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman https://www.listenupgirl.com/ Follow me at https://www.instagram.com/therealzachre/ Podcast music: https://dillonderosa.com/ Thank you Dillion!!!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ep. 289: House of Dragon Premieres, Castro Surveillance & Capital Pride Concert | June 21 2026

SHOW NOTES Story 1 — Capital Pride Concert The 2026 Capital Pride Concert takes place today, Sunday June 21, on Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., noon to 10 p.m. Free admission with ticketed pit and VIP upgrades. Headliner Maren Morris (bisexual, Grammy-winning) joined by Leikeli47, Lisa Lisa, DJ Harrison, and Drag Race Season 18 winner Myki Meeks. Source: Capital Pride Alliance / Metro Weekly / Washington Blade. Story 2 — Chicago Pride Fest The 25th annual Chicago Pride Fest ran June 20–21 in Northalsted along Halsted Street. Headliners included Durand Bernarr and G Flip. The Chicago Pride Parade follows June 28 with the theme "Free to Be Proud," led by the Puerto Rican Cultural Center. Source: PRIDEChicago / Choose Chicago. Story 3 — House of the Dragon Season 3 House of the Dragon Season 3 premieres tonight, Sunday June 21, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and Max. Nonbinary British actor Emma D'Arcy returns as Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen. D'Arcy spoke ahead of the premiere about the importance of nonbinary visibility and their commitment to speaking up for the trans community. The season runs 8 episodes through August 9. Red carpet world premiere was held in London on June 8, 2026. Sources: Jefferson City News-Tribune (June 18, 2026) / Autostraddle / Fandom. Story 4 — Castro Facial Recognition At least three bars in San Francisco's Castro district installed Patronscan Guard+ devices (Servall Data Systems, Alberta, Canada), which collect names, addresses, gender, and biometric data. Privacy advocates and LGBTQ Nation reported on the story June 19, 2026. Digital rights concerns focus on data retention, sharing, and risks to LGBTQ+ individuals. Sources: SFist / LGBTQ Nation / PinkNews / The Advocate. Story 5 — Ontario Pride Flag Burning York Regional Police identified Sepehr Abadar and Mahan Mohammad Radmard, both 18, as suspects in the June 8 theft and burning of a Pride flag at a secondary school in Markham, Ontario. Both charged with mischief in connection with a hate crime investigation. Source: LGBTQ Nation (June 19, 2026). Story 6 — Trans Healthcare in Federal Prisons On June 18, 2026, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit briefly issued an order allowing the Trump administration to implement its policy stripping gender-affirming care from transgender people in federal prisons. The same day, the U.S. District Court for D.C. issued a new preliminary injunction blocking the policy. Source: National LGBTQ+ Bar Association Trump EO Tracker / KFF.   Timestamps: 0:00 — Intro 0:45 — Capital Pride Concert: Maren Morris, Myki Meeks & more in D.C. 2:30 — Chicago Pride Fest Day 2: 25th Anniversary in Northalsted 4:00 — House of the Dragon Season 3: Emma D'Arcy Leads Tonight 5:45 — Castro Gay Bars Install Facial Recognition — Queer Privacy Under Fire 7:30 — Canadian Teens Charged in Pride Flag Hate Crime 8:45 — Trans Healthcare in Federal Prisons: Court Whiplash 10:00 — Outro + Headlines Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman https://www.listenupgirl.com/ Follow me at https://www.instagram.com/therealzachre/ Podcast music: https://dillonderosa.com/ Thank you Dillion!!!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ep. 288: FTC Sues WPATH + Trans Pride LA, Bronx Pride & NYC Grand Marshals | Pride Day 20

Story 1 — FTC Sues WPATH The Federal Trade Commission, along with Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska, and Texas, filed a federal lawsuit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health on June 17, 2026. LGBTQ Nation and The Advocate both covered the story, including community response from Lambda Legal and The Trevor Project. Filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. Story 2 — Trans Pride LA Trans Pride LA 2026 takes place Saturday, June 20, at the Anita May Rosenstein Campus and The Village at Ed Gould Plaza in Hollywood. Organized by the LA LGBT Center's Trans* Lounge. Hosted by Lo Colby. Free, all-ages event. Source: The Fight Magazine, LA LGBT Center. Story 3 — Da Bronx Pride Festival Da Bronx Pride Festival runs June 20, noon to 6 PM, on Westchester Avenue between Brook and Bergen Avenues in the South Bronx. Organized by Destination Tomorrow. Source: NYCHA Journal, Bronx Times, ClickBid event listing. Story 4 — NYC Pride Grand Marshals Bowen Yang and Bernie Wagenblast announced as 2026 NYC Pride March grand marshals. March steps off June 28, noon, from 26th St and Fifth Ave. Source: Gothamist, NYC Pride official. Story 5 — Stonewall Columbus Stonewall Columbus Pride Festival runs June 19–20 in Columbus, Ohio, expecting 700,000+ attendees. Source: AARP Pride Events guide, NYCHA Journal. Story 6 — Broadway Bares Broadway Bares returns Sunday, June 21, at the Hammerstein Ballroom at Manhattan Center. Over 200 Broadway dancers, Tony-winning creator Jerry Mitchell. All proceeds support HIV/AIDS services. Source: NYC Tourism Pride Guide. Story 7 — WABC Pride Special "Pride 2026: For All of Us" airs Saturday, June 20 at 7 PM on WABC-TV Channel 7 and the ABC7 app. Features T Lounge, NY Ramblers, Lesbian Herstory Archives, LGBTQ West Village walking tour. Source: ABC7 New York. Story 8 — NYC Pride Drag Brunch "It's Giving Brunch" NYC Pride drag brunch fundraiser, Saturday June 20, 11 AM and 2 PM sessions, Stella 34 Trattoria, 6th floor Macy's Herald Square, NYC. Source: NYC Pride Events Calendar. Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman https://www.listenupgirl.com/ Follow me at https://www.instagram.com/therealzachre/ Podcast music: https://dillonderosa.com/ Thank you Dillion!!!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ep. 287: Idaho Bathroom Ban Blocked + Juneteenth Pride + Columbus & SF Open | June 19

Episode Notes: * Juneteenth + Pride: June 19th, 1865 marked the announcement of emancipation in Texas. Capital Pride DC's 2026 Pride week has included a panel on the Black LGBTQ History Preservation Report featuring D.C. Council Member Zachary Parker. The Windy City Times and Washington Informer both published Juneteenth/Pride intersectionality features this week. * Idaho HB 752 blocked: On June 16, 2026, U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford issued a preliminary injunction blocking major portions of Idaho's House Bill 752, a bathroom ban that would have criminalized trans people for using public restrooms aligned with their gender identity. The case was brought by the ACLU, ACLU of Idaho, and Lambda Legal on behalf of six transgender Idaho residents. The law was set to take effect July 1, 2026. * Stonewall Columbus Pride: The festival opens tonight, June 19, from 4–10 p.m. at Goodale Park, Columbus, Ohio. The 2026 theme is "Until We're All Free." Executive Director Densil Porteous and Community Programs Coordinator Jaki Braxton have been leading outreach and programming. LuSter Singleton is the 2026 Patron of Pride. The Pride March takes place Saturday, June 20 at 10:30 a.m. Full details at stonewallcolumbus.org. * Fresh Meat Festival: The 25th Anniversary Fresh Meat Festival of trans and queer performance opens tonight, June 19, at 8 p.m. at Z Space (450 Florida Street, San Francisco). Tickets are on a sliding scale. Runs through June 21. The festival is produced by Fresh Meat Productions, founded and directed by Sean Dorsey. Full lineup and tickets at freshmeatproductions.org. * Capital Pride DC: The 2026 theme is "Exist. Resist. Have the Audacity!" Capital Pride events this week included Silver Pride on June 12 and a Black LGBTQ History Preservation Report panel. The Capital Pride Concert is June 21, free, featuring Maren Morris. Full schedule at capitalpride.org. * WorldPride NYC countdown: The NYC Pride March falls on June 28, 2026 — the 57th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising. WorldPride events are centered in New York City this year. Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman https://www.listenupgirl.com/ Follow me at https://www.instagram.com/therealzachre/ Podcast music: https://dillonderosa.com/ Thank you Dillion!!!  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com [https://pcm.adswizz.com] for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.