Ep. 285: UFC Scandal, VA Cuts LGBTQ+ Vets, Niger Criminalizes Being Gay | June 17

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.

Ep. 286: MLB Pride Backlash, Ranger Fired Over Trans Flag, Florida Scraps Arch | June 18

* MLB & Pride: The Texas Rangers remain the only one of 30 MLB teams never to hold a Pride Night, hosting Faith and Family Night on June 18 instead. Separately, Giants pitchers Landen Roupp, JT Brubaker, and Ryan Walker wrote Genesis 9:12–16 on Pride Night caps; reliever Sam Hentges declined the cap. MLB warned the players of possible future penalties, and Sen. Josh Hawley sent a letter to Commissioner Rob Manfred alleging discrimination against Christian players. * Yosemite ranger: Dr. SJ Joslin, the nonbinary ranger behind the 55-foot trans Pride flag hung from El Capitan, had their wrongful-termination lawsuit dismissed but vowed to continue fighting. * Florida Rainbow Arch: A Florida city was forced to scrap a planned Rainbow Arch under Gov. Ron DeSantis's anti-DEI law — the installation had been intended to replace rainbow crosswalks previously removed. * Hate crime: A gay couple in a small town survived a brutal beating; one victim, who identifies as conservative, said he thought he would die. * Wrestling lawsuit: A high school wrestler filed a sexual assault suit after discovering an opponent was transgender; wrestling experts reviewing the footage say it shows no assault. * Good news: The Smithsonian's National Museum of African Art presents "Here: Pride and Belonging in African Art" (through Aug. 23), with a free curator-and-artist panel on June 18 from 5–6 p.m. 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. 285: UFC Scandal, VA Cuts LGBTQ+ Vets, Niger Criminalizes Being Gay | June 17

On today's episode: UFC fighter Josh Hokit shocks the nation with a transphobic attack on Michelle Obama during a post-fight interview at the White House — and the administration stays silent. An arrest is made in the murder of Marlow Trottie, a Black trans woman killed in Louisiana during Pride Month. The VA moves to eliminate LGBTQ+-specific health care for veterans. Five men are arrested in Malaysia for using Grindr to rob and assault gay men. England's queer soccer fan group boycotts the 2026 World Cup. Niger criminalizes homosexuality. And the San Francisco LGBTQ+ Film Festival opens today. New episodes every weekday. Subscribe and never miss a story. 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. 284: Nancy Mace Out, Ghana Anti-LGBTQ Bill & Stonewall's Mark Segal | June 16, 2026

Listen Up Girl — Day 16 of Pride Month | June 16, 2026 Story 1: Nancy Mace Primary Loss Nancy Mace finished fifth in the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial primary with approximately 12.1% of the vote. Lieutenant Governor Pamela Evette and Attorney General Alan Wilson advanced to a runoff. Trans Congresswoman Sarah McBride, speaking at the Equality PAC National Pride Gala as results came in, told the crowd "Happy Pride, Nancy." Mace will hold no elected office come January 2027. Story 2: Ghana Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill Ghana's parliament passed the Human Sexual Rights and Family Values Bill, which proposes up to 3 years in prison for identifying as LGBTQ+, up to 5 years for "promoting" LGBTQ+ activities, and a duty-to-report clause. President Mahama has signaled he will sign it. The bill was advanced in part through a U.S. Christian nationalist-funded conference series — the 4th African Inter-Parliamentary Conference on Family Values and Sovereignty — held in Accra with delegates from more than 20 African countries. Story 3: Mark Segal Stonewall Interview LGBTQ Nation published a major interview with Mark Segal, who was 18 years old and present at the Stonewall Inn on the night of June 28, 1969. Segal is the founder of the Philadelphia Gay News and a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front. He recently opened the Philly Pride Visitor Center in Philadelphia. Story 4: Las Culturistas Culture Awards The 5th Annual Las Culturistas Culture Awards air Wednesday, June 17, 9–11 PM ET/PT, simulcast on Bravo and Peacock. Hosted by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers. Produced by Lionsgate Alternative Television. Story 5: NYC Pride March — June 28 The 57th annual NYC Pride March steps off June 28, 2026 at noon from 26th Street and Fifth Avenue, ending at the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street. The date falls on the exact 57th anniversary of the June 28, 1969 Stonewall Uprising. Theme: "For All of Us." Broadcast live on WABC-7 and streamed globally. Free and open to the public. 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.