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

Ep. 294: Pride March Showdown: Hospitals vs. Grand Marshals | LGBTQ+ News June 26

Listen Up Girl — Day 26 of Pride Month | Friday, June 26, 2026 Your daily LGBTQ+ news podcast SEGMENT 1: NYC Pride Grand Marshals Demand Hospitals Be Banned from the March The Gender Liberation Movement sent an open letter to Heritage of Pride — the organization behind the NYC Pride March — calling on them to prohibit NYU Langone, Mount Sinai, and New York-Presbyterian from participating in Sunday's march. Both NYU Langone and Mount Sinai ended gender-affirming care programs for trans minors earlier this year under pressure from the orange convicted felon's administration, and NYU Langone became the first hospital system subpoenaed for the private medical records of trans youth patients. The letter was signed by more than 20 current and former Pride grand marshals — including Bowen Yang, Dominique Jackson, Peppermint, TS Madison, Michelle Visage, Jazz Jennings, and Raquel Willis — along with over a dozen LGBTQ+ nonprofits and dozens of parents of trans children. Mount Sinai confirmed it still plans to march. Heritage of Pride had not publicly responded as of airtime. Sources: LGBTQ Nation, Gothamist, The Advocate, Gender Liberation Movement SEGMENT 2: California 9th Circuit Blocks the SAFETY Act The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled on June 23, 2026 that California cannot enforce Assembly Bill 1955 — the SAFETY Act — while legal challenges continue. The law prohibited school districts from requiring staff to disclose a student's gender identity or sexual orientation to parents without the student's consent. The court's ruling mirrors earlier Supreme Court language framing parental "constitutional rights" to information about their children's gender expression at school. LGBTQ+ advocates warn the ruling puts queer and trans youth at risk of being outed before they are ready, with documented links to elevated rates of depression, family rejection, and suicidal ideation. The legal fight continues. Sources: LGBTQ Nation, LA Times SEGMENT 3: Lil Nas X Opens Up About Bipolar Disorder Out rapper Lil Nas X (born Montero Lamar Hill) posted a video to Instagram on June 17, 2026, disclosing his diagnosis with bipolar disorder and providing an update on his mental health following a public episode in August 2025 that led to his arrest and hospitalization. In April 2026, a judge placed him in a two-year mental health diversion program. He has since completed a rehab program, is working with a therapist and psychiatrist, and says he is focused on new music. He described living with bipolar disorder as being on "extreme hard mode." His father also spoke publicly about the pressures his son has faced at age 26. Sources: LGBTQ Nation, Variety, Deadline, Ebony SEGMENT 4: Queens of the Dead Drops on Hulu Queens of the Dead, a new queer horror film starring Dominique Jackson (Pose, 2026 NYC Pride Grand Marshal), began streaming on Hulu today, June 26, 2026. The film has been anticipated by queer entertainment audiences as part of Hulu's Pride Month content rollout. Source: TV Insider / Hulu SEGMENT 5: Aesop Queer Library Returns to NYC Now in its sixth consecutive year, the Aesop Queer Library is taking place at Aesop's Nolita location from June 26–28, 2026. The free activation offers complimentary books by LGBTQ+ authors and transforms the store into a community library space. This year's edition focuses on writing that centers the queer body. The event is free and open to all. Source: NYC for Free SEGMENT 6: Two Days to the NYC Pride March The 2026 NYC Pride March takes place Sunday, June 28, stepping off at noon from 26th Street and Fifth Avenue and dispersing near the Stonewall Inn on Christopher Street. The theme is For All of Us, inspired by Marsha P. Johnson. Grand Marshals are Dominique Jackson, Peppermint, Bowen Yang, Bernie Wagenblast, and Gays Against Guns. The march will be broadcast live on ABC 7 New York starting at noon. Additional Pride weekend highlights include the Mets Pride Night at Citi Field tonight (June 26) and Harlem Pride on Saturday, June 27 — now in its 17th year. Sources: NYC Pride, ABC 7 New York, NYC Tourism + Conventions 🎙️ Listen Up Girl is your daily LGBTQ+ news podcast. Follow, subscribe, rate, and review wherever you listen. Find us at listenupgirl.com 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. 293: Congress Fights FCC Trans TV Labels + SF Pride Begins | June 25, 2026

📋 SHOW NOTES Segment 1 — FCC Trans Content Warning Labels Source: LGBTQ Nation, Washington Blade, The Advocate, TV Tech (June 22–23, 2026). 68 House Democrats sent a letter to FCC Chair Brendan Carr opposing content warning proposals for transgender/nonbinary TV content. Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Rep. Mark Takano led the letter. FCC comment deadline was June 22, 2026.  Segment 2 — Rachel Maddow / Trump Legal Losses Source: LGBTQ Nation (June 23, 2026). Maddow celebrated on MS NOW after a Republican-appointed federal judge threw out six DOJ grand jury subpoenas targeting MN Gov. Tim Walz, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, and AG Keith Ellison.  Segment 3 — NH Gov. Kelly Ayotte Anti-Trans Veto Source: LGBTQ Nation (June 23, 2026). Gov. Ayotte vetoed S.B. 552 for the third time; the bill would have removed gender identity protections from NH's 2018 anti-discrimination law.  Segment 4 — SF Trans March & SF Pride 2026 Source: KQED, SF Pride official site (sfpride.org), June 24–25, 2026. 56th Annual SF Pride Celebration runs June 27–28 at Civic Center; Trans March is tonight at Dolores Park. Theme: "Resistance in Action."  Segment 5 — Dayna Kathan Comes Out as Lesbian Source: Out.com, People (June 7, 2026). Kathan posted on Instagram on June 7 with a "GAY" camisole and the caption celebrating "late in life lesbians."  Segment 6 — NYC Pride March Countdown Source: NYC Pride, AARP Pride Month Events Guide, ABC7 NY (June 2026). NYC Pride March on June 28, noon; theme "For All of Us"; grand marshals include Dominique Jackson, Peppermint, Bowen Yang, Gays Against Guns, and Bernie Wagenblast.  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. 292: LGBTQ+ Americans Fleeing the US, GWAR vs Secret Service | June 24, 2026

📋 SHOW NOTES Segment 1 — LGBTQ+ Americans Fleeing the U.S. Rainbow Railroad's annual report, Understanding the State of Global LGBTQI+ Persecution, released on World Refugee Day (June 20, 2026), documents 20,215 relocation requests from queer and trans people in 2025 — a 51% increase from 2024 and the highest total since the organization's founding in 2006. Simultaneously, U.S. refugee resettlement has dropped sharply, with over 99% of the 6,668 refugees accepted between October 2025 and May 2026 being white South Africans. Transgender woman Terry-Kay Walker from Jamaica was approved for U.S. resettlement before the administration's executive order left her stranded in Colombia; Rainbow Railroad ultimately helped her relocate to Canada.   Segment 2 — GWAR Investigated by Secret Service GWAR performed a mock execution of the current U.S. president at the Vans Warped Tour in Washington, D.C. in June 2026. Video went viral in conservative circles. In an interview with Rocking With Jam Man, vocalist Mike "Blöthar the Berserker" Bishop confirmed: "Let's just say that GWAR is on some lists." The band has performed similar theatrical executions of Obama, Biden, Hillary Clinton, Queen Elizabeth, and Elon Musk with no government response. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) has stated the performance is clearly First Amendment-protected speech. Bishop also noted that Live Nation has been "susceptible to pressure from the government" in the wake of the investigation.   Segment 3 — Morgan Armstrong $10K Settlement Morgan Armstrong, a senior at Tennessee Christian Preparatory School in Cleveland, Tennessee, was banned from graduation and threatened with diploma withholding after coming out as gay on social media in 2025. She filed suit with Nashville civil rights attorney Daniel Horwitz, who noted she had never posted anything about the school. On June 22, 2026, a court approved a settlement: the school pays Armstrong $10,000, her suspension is officially rescinded, she retains her diploma, and the school is barred from making disparaging remarks about her to any college or university.   Segment 4 — Delaware Parentage Bill SB 250 Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed SB 250 into law, updating the state's Uniform Parentage Act to close legal gaps for children born through IVF, surrogacy, and donor conception — paths to parenthood commonly used by LGBTQ+ families. Prior to the law, some children had no clear legal path to a recognized parental relationship, creating complications around custody, health insurance, inheritance, and medical decision-making. The law allows intended parents to establish parentage through voluntary acknowledgments and updates surrogacy agreement requirements. Jordan Wilson, executive director of COLAGE, said: "Delaware has set an example for states across the country."   Segment 5 — Nancy Mace's TRANS MICE Act Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) posted on X on June 18, 2026, claiming taxpayers were funding experiments to make mice transgender, and announced her TRANS MICE Act to prohibit federal funds from supporting research "aimed at altering an animal's biological sex." X's community notes immediately debunked the claim, clarifying the research in question involves transgenic mice used to study the effects of sex hormones on disease — standard biomedical science. Mace doubled down. The original "transgender mice" claim traces to the current president's March 2025 congressional address.   Segment 6 — Mary Trump Mary Trump, the current president's openly gay niece and frequent critic, publicly mocked him this week over his claim that vandals were responsible for problems with the National Mall Reflecting Pool renovation. Her one-word response: "Pathetic." She added: "How anybody can say this with a straight face is beyond my comprehension." Segment 7 — NYC Pride Week / T Lounge WABC-TV aired its annual Pride special, Pride 2026: For All of Us, on June 22, 2026, hosted by Sam Champion, Lauren Glassberg, and Kemberly Richardson. The special included a profile on T Lounge — the only bar in New York City owned and operated by trans women — described as "particularly relevant considering today's political climate and growing anti-trans rights movement." The NYC Pride March takes place June 28, 2026, with grand marshals Dominique Jackson, Peppermint, Bowen Yang, Gays Against Guns, and Bernie Wagenblast. Theme: "For All of Us."     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. 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.