Listen Up Girl

Zach Randles-Friedman

LGBTQ+ News in 10 minutes or less!

  1. 2d ago

    Ep. 331: Anti-Gay Congressman Loses Seat, Canada Ends Donor Ban & More LGBTQ+ News

    Broadway Bounces Actor After Transphobic Videos Resurface — Geno Segers was set to play Hades in Hadestown until old videos surfaced of him comparing trans people's fight for equal rights to people impersonating animals for discounted airfare, and mocking the idea of stating pronouns. Producers "mutually agreed" to part ways days after his casting was announced; his apology was criticized for not naming who was harmed. Canada Ends Decades of Discrimination Against Gay Sperm Donors — Health Canada eliminated sexual-behavior screening questions that specifically targeted gay and bisexual donors, following a years-long legal challenge from a donor named Aziz. Medical experts testified that modern HIV testing carries effectively zero residual risk. Advocates called it a precedent-setting win. Anti-Gay Congressman Loses His Seat — Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles, known for saying "homosexuality has no place in America" and calling last year's Super Bowl halftime show "gay pornography," lost his Republican primary to a better-funded challenger who picked up a late endorsement from the state's own governor. He's the second Trump-endorsed House candidate to lose a primary this week. Chef Accuses Anti-LGBTQ+ Senator of Kissing a Male Escort — Chef and content creator Joe Gera posted a series of unverified allegations claiming Sen. Josh Hawley kissed a male escort and separately accused Sen. Bernie Moreno of being closeted. Neither senator has responded. Both allegations remain unproven. UK Parents of Trans Kids Say They Were Ignored — An advocacy group says it sent the UK government a detailed report on the harm of a new school policy targeting trans students and received no response, as families describe declining mental health under policies that out kids to classmates and leave teachers without guidance. Out Olympian Gus Kenworthy Is Engaged — Four-time Olympic skier Gus Kenworthy proposed to boyfriend Andrew Rigby on a clifftop off Mallorca, Spain, complete with a picnic and a surprise boat of friends. Kenworthy came out in 2015 and made history kissing his boyfriend on live TV during the 2018 Games. 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 for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ep. 331: Anti-Gay Congressman Loses Seat, Canada Ends Donor Ban & More LGBTQ+ News
  2. 5d ago

    Ep. 330: El-Sayed's Michigan Upset, Missouri Says No, Florida Drag Ban Upheld

    Progressive Abdul El-Sayed pulls off a razor-thin, AIPAC-defying upset in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary. Missouri voters crush two GOP-backed constitutional amendments by lopsided margins. A federal appeals court upholds Florida's ban on minors attending "obscene" drag performances. Plus a Washington roundup, a rocket that crashed into the moon, and the internet's new favorite sinkhole serenade. In this episode: Abdul El-Sayed wins Michigan's Democratic Senate primary in a stunning upset over Haley Stevens, setting up a November race against Mike Rogers Missouri voters reject two GOP-backed constitutional amendments by landslide margins A federal appeals court upholds Florida's ban on minors attending "obscene" drag performances in a divided 8-5 ruling Washington roundup: stalled Iran peace talks, a new federal benefits fraud crackdown, and a lawsuit over the Epstein files A SpaceX rocket stage crashes into the moon after 18 months adrift in space The internet's new favorite sinkhole serenade goes viral Follow the show: Subscribe wherever you listen, leave a rating and review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it. 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 for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ep. 330: El-Sayed's Michigan Upset, Missouri Says No, Florida Drag Ban Upheld
  3. 6d ago

    Ep. 329: Trans Military Purge, Griner Divorce & Becerra's LGBTQ+ Run | Aug 6 News

    In today's episode of Listen Up Girl, Zach Randles-Friedman covers six stories shaping LGBTQ+ life this week. First, reporting on closed-door separation hearings for transgender service members who refuse to voluntarily leave the military, with attorneys describing the process as predetermined and dehumanizing — the latest fallout from a policy the Supreme Court has allowed to proceed even as legal challenges continue. Next, a new JAMA Pediatrics study undercuts a common argument against gender-affirming care, finding that puberty blockers cause only modest, largely reversible effects on bone density in trans minors. The episode then turns to a widely mocked comment from the administration about women's basketball and puberty blockers, followed by news that Brittney and Cherelle Griner have filed for divorce after eight years of marriage. On a more hopeful note, Xavier Becerra's California gubernatorial campaign is spotlighted for its explicit LGBTQ+ platform, including protections for trans youth and expanded PrEP access. The show closes with a "quote of the week" segment on Fox host Laura Ingraham's much-mocked comments about authoritarianism and scarcity. 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 for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ep. 329: Trans Military Purge, Griner Divorce & Becerra's LGBTQ+ Run | Aug 6 News
  4. Aug 4

    Ep. 327: Michigan's Conversion Ban KILLED, Moulton's Apology & WNBA Coach's Trans Shirt

    Today's episode covers six major LGBTQ+ stories: A federal judge signed a permanent order blocking Michigan from enforcing its conversion therapy ban against counselors who say their treatment is talk-only, after Catholic Charities affiliates sued the state. The ruling follows the Supreme Court's March decision in Chiles v. Salazar and puts more than 20 other states with similar bans on notice. Massachusetts Senate candidate Seth Moulton has apologized for comments he made in November 2024 about not wanting his daughters to compete against a "male or formerly male athlete." LGBTQ+ advocates asked him for an apology back then and didn't get one — he's offering it now, with a Senate campaign underway. A neo-Nazi group, NSC-131, has formally admitted in court to violating New Hampshire's civil rights law after surrounding a cafe hosting a drag queen story hour in 2023 and shouting slurs at families. The group's leader must pay a $10,000 penalty, complete 250 hours of community service, and the group has ceased operating in the state. Minnesota Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve wore a "Trans Kids Belong" t-shirt during a nationally televised game against Indiana Fever player Sophie Cunningham, who has publicly opposed trans athletes in women's sports. The Lynx won the game 108-100. Disgraced former congressman George Santos now owes $35,000 stemming from an online gambling scandal — his lawyer says it isn't an admission of wrongdoing. And trans singer and Stonewall veteran Christy Henderson Jenkins shares, for the first time, the full love story of her "chosen parents" — Stonewall icon Stormé DeLarverie and her longtime partner Diana, whose relationship began at a Harlem nightclub in 1943. 🎙️ Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts | 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 for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Ep. 327: Michigan's Conversion Ban KILLED, Moulton's Apology & WNBA Coach's Trans Shirt
4.8
out of 5
20 Ratings

About

LGBTQ+ News in 10 minutes or less!

You Might Also Like