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• Dolly Parton Turns 80 and Celebrates the LGBTQIA+ Community
• Harry Styles Announces New Album and Reflects on Queer Visibility
• Study Finds Same-Sex Behavior Across 59 Primate Species
• Stonewall Relaunches Rainbow Laces as #MoveWithPride
• UK Study Finds Higher Drug and Alcohol Death Rates Among LGB People
• Nearly Half of LGBTQ+ Americans Say They’re Less Out Than a Year Ago
• U.S. Publishers Pull Back From Queer Books Amid Political Pressure
• University of Arkansas Drops Law Dean Pick Over Trans Rights
• Utah’s Anti-Trans Bill Sparks Alarm Among Advocates

Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman

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Visit Shopify.com/ListenUp and get you business started today!

• Polyamorous Americans remain legally unprotected despite growing visibility
• ‘Heated Rivalry’ season two expected to begin filming this summer
• Rhea Seehorn confirms ‘Pluribus’ season two writers’ room is officially back
• ACLU launches “More Than a Game” campaign as Supreme Court weighs trans sports bans
• Michigan judge resigns after racist and anti-LGBTQ+ recordings surface
• Tennessee lawmakers introduce bills targeting marriage equality, Pride flags, and LGBTQ+ workplace protections
• Russian streaming platforms charged under anti-LGBTQ+ “propaganda” law as queer stories continue to spread
• Dating apps reshape queer spaces in Ireland, raising concerns about community loss
• NYPD searches for suspect after anti-LGBTQ+ attack on New York City subway
• Most conversion therapy in the U.S. still administered by religious leaders, new data shows

Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman

https://www.listenupgirl.com/

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• DOJ lawyers resign over handling of Renee Good case
• San Antonio removes rainbow crosswalks in Pride District
• NY Attorney General Letitia James leads lawsuit against HHS
• AI backlash after Grok generates nonconsensual sexual imagery
• MacKenzie Scott donates $45 million to The Trevor Project
• Euphoria Season 3 trailer drops with a five-year time jump
• Slo Pitch: a queer sports mockumentary on the horizon
• NeNe Leakes returns to Bravo — but not with a peach
• Sydney Sweeney targeted by transphobic conspiracy

Please complete our audience survey. It helps me learn more about you and what you like most about this show. I am always looking for ways to improve our content/podcast/show. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=0qI0Tj7TBKvS&ver=standard

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Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman

https://www.listenupgirl.com/

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• Hockey player Jesse Kortuem comes out as gay, crediting Heated Rivalry with giving him the confidence to live openly
• Transgender youth face growing sports bans across the U.S., raising concerns about safety, belonging, and access
• Hawaiʻi enacts landmark parentage law strengthening protections for LGBTQ+ families
• CDC warns of rising STI rates nationwide, with syphilis and congenital syphilis driving the most urgent concerns
• Maryland woman arrested after viral video shows alleged homophobic attack inside Virginia supermarket
• Nearly half of LGBTQ Americans report being “less out” amid rising hostility, new HRC survey finds
• New research shows inclusive restroom design improves access and reduces wait times for everyone
• Gay Minneapolis pastor says ICE agent detained him at gunpoint following Renee Good killing
• Harry Styles announces first album in four years, sparking speculation of a disco-inspired era
• Vivian Jenna Wilson appears in Savage X Fenty Valentine’s campaign, continuing the brand’s inclusive legacy
• Heated Rivalry resonates with queer viewers in Russia watching under anti-LGBTQ+ repression

Please complete our audience survey. It helps me learn more about you and what you like most about this show. I am always looking for ways to improve our content/podcast/show. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=0qI0Tj7TBKvS&ver=standard

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In this Listen Up Girl special report, I break down one news story that isn’t just trending — it’s resonating.

What started as a queer hockey romance has become a full-blown cultural moment. Heated Rivalry has crossed from fandom into the mainstream, landing on late-night television, dominating social media, attracting pop-culture heavyweights, and pulling in audiences no one expected — including straight men, women, sports fans, and viewers who never thought they’d care about a hockey love story.

In this episode, I explore how the show took over, why the chemistry and performances hit so deeply, and how the actors helped redefine masculinity, vulnerability, and desire on screen. We talk about why women are obsessed, why straight guys are watching and staying, and why queer audiences see themselves reflected so clearly in this story.

I also dive into what’s coming next — including Season 2 anticipation and the announcement of Unrivaled, the third novel in Rachel Reid’s beloved series, where secrecy fades and visibility finally takes center stage.

This isn’t just a TV recap.

It’s a cultural breakdown of how one story cracked something open — and why it matters right now.

Please complete our audience survey. It helps me learn more about you and what you like most about this show. I am always looking for ways to improve our content/podcast/show. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=0qI0Tj7TBKvS&ver=standard

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/therealzachre

Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman

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• Unrivaled, the third Shane and Ilya novel, is officially announced by Rachel Reid
• Mark Ruffalo and Wanda Sykes protest ICE-linked killings on the Golden Globes red carpet
• Teyana Taylor wins Best Supporting Actress and delivers a powerful message to Black women and girls
• Erin Doherty wins a Golden Globe and thanks therapists in emotional speech
• Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie bring Heated Rivalry energy to the Golden Globes stage
• New YouGov poll shows most Americans view Republican transphobia as a problem
• Colorado Gov. Jared Polis considers clemency for election-fraud figure Tina Peters
• Dorinda Medley discusses lavender marriages on Reality Checked
• Supreme Court set to hear cases on bans targeting trans girls in sports

Please complete our audience survey. It helps me learn more about you and what you like most about this show. I am always looking for ways to improve our content/podcast/show. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=0qI0Tj7TBKvS&ver=standard

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/therealzachre

Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman

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• Record number of Queer and Trans candidates selected for UK’s 2026 local elections
• Vermont proposes trust fund to protect gender-affirming healthcare
• New York City sees 161% surge in bisexual identification
• Andrea Jenkins announces retirement after historic career
• Nationwide protests erupt after ICE agent kills Renee Nicole Good
• Kristi Noem vows to send more federal agents to Minneapolis
• Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers apologize over Jasmine Crockett remarks
• Lord Mandelson speaks out on Epstein ties in BBC interview
• Over 100 detained in Azerbaijan queer nightclub raid

Please complete our audience survey. It helps me learn more about you and what you like most about this show. I am always looking for ways to improve our content/podcast/show. http://survey.podtrac.com/start-survey.aspx?pubid=0qI0Tj7TBKvS&ver=standard

Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/therealzachre

Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman

https://www.listenupgirl.com/

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In this special episode of Listen Up Girl, we examine the life and death of Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother, writer, and partner who was fatally shot during an ICE operation in Minneapolis.

This is not just a breaking-news story—it’s a human one. We take listeners beyond the headlines to understand who Renee was, what happened on the morning she was killed, and why the official accounts and eyewitness narratives diverge so sharply. Through compassion, context, and careful reporting, we explore the grief left behind, the community’s response, and the broader questions this tragedy raises about federal law enforcement, accountability, and the use of force.

Most importantly, this episode asks why moments like this keep happening—and what it says about where we are as a country. Renee Good should still be here. Remembering her means refusing to accept silence, erasure, or easy answers.

⚠️ Content warning: This episode discusses police violence and loss of life.

Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedman

https://www.listenupgirl.com/

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