Ep. 256: Madonna Headlines FIFA World Cup + PA Nondiscrimination Bill Passes | Listen Up Girl

Today's episode covers seven stories from across the LGBTQ+ world. The Pennsylvania House passed House Bill 2103 by a razor-thin 101–100 vote, adding sexual orientation and gender identity to the state's Human Relations Act — a victory 22 years in the making. The bill now heads to the Republican-controlled Senate. Botswana formally removed colonial-era anti-sodomy provisions from its Penal Code, following a 2019 High Court ruling and 2021 Court of Appeal decision that had already declared them unconstitutional. A same-sex couple is currently challenging the country's Marriage Act in court, with a hearing scheduled for July. Isaac Ranson, a transgender man and two-time Big West Conference Goalkeeper of the Year, has signed with Minnesota Aurora FC — becoming the first openly transgender player in the club's history. Aurora opens its regular season May 21st. Sam Asghari has partnered with MISTR, a telehealth platform connecting people to PrEP, for a new HIV prevention campaign targeting men who have sex with men. Visit getmistr.com to learn more about PrEP access. RuPaul's advice to "party and dance" in the face of the current political climate sparked a polarized response online — raising real questions about the tension between joy and activism heading into Pride season. The European Commission promised a non-binding recommendation to member states to ban conversion therapy — but delayed that recommendation until next year. FIFA and Global Citizen announced that Madonna, Shakira, and BTS will co-headline the first-ever FIFA World Cup Final halftime show on July 19th at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. The show is curated by Coldplay's Chris Martin and benefits the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. Madonna's new album, Confessions II, drops July 3rd. Podcast Chapters 00:00 — Intro 01:05 — Pennsylvania Passes Historic LGBTQ+ Nondiscrimination Bill 03:20 — Botswana Erases Colonial-Era Sodomy Law 05:30 — Trans Man Isaac Ranson Signs with Minnesota Aurora FC 07:25 — Sam Asghari Launches HIV Prevention Campaign with MISTR 08:45 — RuPaul Says "Party and Dance" — Fans Are Divided 10:00 — EU Promises Conversion Therapy Ban (Sort Of) 11:10 — Madonna, Shakira & BTS to Headline First-Ever FIFA World Cup Halftime Show 12:45 — Outro Hosted by Zach Randles-Friedmanhttps://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.