• Jayapal and Markey Introduce Federal Bill Expanding Trans Civil Rights Protections
• Pride Flag Re-Raised at Stonewall After Federal Removal Sparks Outrage
• High Court Affirms Trans Women’s Right to Use Women’s Facilities
• California Court Orders Hospital to Continue Gender-Affirming Care
• Congressman Calls for Inquiry into Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Performance
• NBC Apologizes for Misgendering Trans Olympic Skier
• Pornhub Reports Massive Spike in Super Bowl-Themed Searches
• Ts Madison Secures Restraining Order After Alleged Stalking
• NCSU Pride Center Director Dismissed After Secret Recording
• Portland Police Arrest Man in Alleged Anti-Trans Assault
• Trump Excludes Governors Polis and Moore from White House Event
• Khalid Reflects on Being Outed and Embraces His Identity
• Cardi B Responds to DHS Criticism with Epstein Files Question
• Netflix CEO Says “Boots” Cancellation Was Not Political
• NYU Disputes Claims Over Pattie Gonia Event Cancellation
• Remembering James Van Der Beek

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• Bad Bunny’s Inclusive Super Bowl Halftime Show Sparks Celebration — and Racist Backlash
• Amber Glenn Steps Back from Social Media After Facing Threats Over LGBTQ Advocacy
• Trans Skier Elis Lundholm Set to Make Olympic History at Milano–Cortina 2026
• Record Number of Out LGBTQ Athletes Competing at 2026 Winter Olympics
• One Million Moms Targets Gordon Ramsay Butter Ad Over Censored Profanity
• Virginia Sends Measure to Voters to Remove Same-Sex Marriage Ban from State Constitution
• Human Rights Watch Warns U.S. Is Undermining LGBTQ+ Rights Worldwide

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• Don Lemon’s Arrest Backfires on the Trump Administration
• San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones Shuts Down Hate Speech at Public Meeting
• Iowa Lawmakers Advance Expanded “Don’t Say Gay” Bill
• Anti-Trans Democrat Group Sues Illinois Over Party Label
• Detransitioner Awarded $2 Million in Landmark Malpractice Case
• New Study Challenges Rationale Behind Trans Women Sports Bans
• LGBTQ Gun Group Pink Pistols Sees Surge in Membership After Election
• Comedian Faces Backlash After Calling Renee Good a Slur on Stage
• Kid Rock & JD Vance Double Down Amid “Super Bowel” Controversy
• Conservatives Melt Down Over “LGBT Queer-ish” Super Bowl Logo
• Pillion Earns Praise for Tender Portrayal of Young Queer Love

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• Trump sparks outrage after sharing racist AI video targeting the Obamas
• The cost of convenience: Grindr and the evolution of queer hookup culture
• Grindr launches premium AI tier “EDGE”
• Nine arrested on drug charges ahead of Miami’s Atlantis gay cruise
• Olivia Colman reflects on feeling “sort of nonbinary”
• Jennifer Tilly embraces her LGBTQ+ fanbase
• Trans military ban discharges contradict government claims
• Malaysia minister blames “work stress” for LGBT identity
• Trans Girl Scouts sell 71,000+ boxes of cookies
• Ian McKellen delivers pro-immigrant Shakespeare monologue
• Record 45 out athletes set to compete at 2026 Winter Olympics

Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman

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• Jeremy Greer Goes Viral Ahead of the Super Bowl
• Pedro Pascal to Star in Todd Haynes’ ‘De Noche’ After Joaquin Phoenix Exit
• Vivian Wilson Weighs In on Newly Released Epstein Emails
• Pride Nights Disappear From Some NHL Teams
• Eric Botcher Sworn Into the New York State Senate
• Bad Bunny Faces MAGA Backlash Ahead of Super Bowl Halftime Show
• California Sues Over Halt to Youth Gender-Affirming Care
• Promising HIV Remission Cases Spark Hope for Functional Cure
• Uganda Court Dismisses Charges in Landmark Anti-Homosexuality Case
• Florida Pauses Proposed Cuts to HIV/AIDS Assistance Programs
• Grindr Rolls Out Enhanced Privacy Protections for Olympic Athletes
• New England Data Shows Disproportionate LGBTQ+ Youth Suicide Rates
• Colorado Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Anti-LGBTQ Hate Crime Case
• Ben Affleck Reveals Fake Scene Inserted Into ‘Good Will Hunting’ Script
• Elmo Publicly Supports LGBTQ+ Community

‘Heated Rivalry’ Season 2 Confirmed; Connor Storrie Set for SNL Appearance

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• FC Köln shares viral proposal on the pitch
• Tennessee GOP candidate calls for executions over gender-affirming care
• Pete Buttigieg slams Trump over housing comments
• Trump administration rules SJSU violated Title IX over trans athlete
• Pam Bondi demands Minnesota voter data amid immigration protests
• Catherine O’Hara dies at 71
• Canadian PM calls Heated Rivalry star his “new best friend”
• Journalists arrested in Minnesota spark First Amendment concerns
• Idaho bill targets LGBTQ+ nondiscrimination protections
• Oprah praises Heated Rivalry at NYC bookstore
• Nicki Minaj declares herself Trump’s “number one fan”
• UC Berkeley students preserve queer history via Wikipedia
• New masculinity trends reshape pop culture
• Anti-LGBTQ+ attacks rise again in 2025
• Drag satire sparks backlash — and ACLU fundraising

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Make the switch! MINTMOBILE.COM/LISTENUP

In this special report of Listen Up Girl, host Zach Randles-Friedman examines a troubling contradiction of our time: LGBTQ visibility has never been higher—yet legal protections, especially for trans people and queer immigrants, are rapidly eroding.

From queer representation dominating pop culture to Pride branding filling our screens, it can feel like progress is inevitable. But beneath the surface, aggressive policies, political backlash, and federal enforcement are creating fear, displacement, and real harm. Through cultural analysis, policy context, and a close look at events unfolding in Minneapolis, this episode asks a hard but necessary question: Is visibility actually protecting anyone—or is it masking a growing crisis?

This is a conversation about visibility without protection, the limits of representation, and what real accountability and progress must look like moving forward.

Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman

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Make the switch! MINTMOBILE.COM/LISTENUP

• NYC shuts down amid snowstorm—and City Hall recommends Heated Rivalry
• Heated Rivalry stars carry the Olympic flame in Italy
• Elton John turns knee replacement surgery into luxury jewelry
• Tiffany Pollard urges Nicki Minaj to seek wisdom from Bruce Springsteen
• Kesha supports Kim Petras amid label dispute
• National support grows to abolish ICE after Minneapolis shootings
• Gay asylum seekers face deportation to Iran
• BBC apologizes to Jack Murley after years of homophobic abuse
• Broadway’s Six defends Dylan Mulvaney casting
• Transgender colonel Bree Fram launches congressional campaign
• Michigan Sen. Jeremy Moss pushes forward after trauma

Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman

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• Kim Petras asks to be released from Republic Records amid album delays
• Vermont proposes state trust fund to protect gender-affirming health care
• Federal judge blocks DOJ demand for trans youths’ personal data
• LGBTQ+ protests erupt across Florida, Tennessee, and Utah
• MAGA reacts to rumored Bad Bunny Super Bowl dress
• Hundreds of Minnesota businesses close to protest ICE operations

Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman

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• Retired Australian basketball star Andrew Ogilvy comes out as gay during the NBL’s annual Pride Round, saying the culture in sport has finally shifted
• U.K. hockey player Zach Sullivan reflects on the emotional impact of Heated Rivalry and the lasting trauma faced by closeted athletes
• The LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame announces its 2026 inductees, including trans non-binary runner Nikki Hiltz
• Tennis legend Billie Jean King and former NBA player Jason Collins to receive the Glenn Burke Award for courage and authenticity
• Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie named Olympic torchbearers for the 2026 Milano Cortina Games
• The Ottawa Senators launch Heated Rivalry–inspired jerseys to support Ottawa Pride Hockey
• Actor Max Parker cast as Heimdall in Prime Video’s upcoming adaptation of God of War
• Alexander Skarsgård clarifies viral comments after fans speculate about his sexuality
• Actor Ruby Rose accuses Nicki Minaj of mistreating tour staff
• Wexford Pride partners with TITE Film Festival to showcase trans-led short films in County Wexford
• Iowa lawmakers advance legislation restricting classroom discussions of gender identity and sexual orientation
• U.S. Department of Education opens Title IX investigation into a Maine school district over a trans student in co-ed cheerleading
• South Carolina state Rep. RJ May sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to child sexual abuse material charges
• Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney receives standing ovation at the World Economic Forum
• New polling shows growing U.S. public support for abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman

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