Ep. 260: DOJ Trans Records Blocked + PEPFAR Crumbling + NYC Pride Marshals | May 20

Story 1 — Rhode Island Judge Blocks DOJ Trans Youth Records U.S. District Judge Mary McElroy voided a DOJ subpoena demanding six years of medical records from Rhode Island Hospital for trans minor patients. In a 24-page ruling, she called it a "bad faith fishing expedition" and accused the DOJ of misrepresenting facts under oath to a Texas judge. The DOJ immediately appealed to the First Circuit. Eight federal courts have now blocked the administration's subpoena campaign. Sources: Boston Globe, Rhode Island Current, The Hill. Story 2 — Thomas Massie Kentucky Primary The Republican primary in Kentucky's 4th Congressional District — the most expensive House primary in history at $32M+ in ad spend — took place today. A pro-Massie PAC ran an ad calling Gallrein's supporters the "LGBTQ Mafia" and warning "the weirdos will take over." Both candidates are anti-LGBTQ+. Sources: LGBTQ Nation, Metro Weekly, Axios. Story 3 — PEPFAR/CDC Dismantling On May 5, the State Department issued guidance ending CDC support for PEPFAR programs in most countries by September 30, 2026, moving to a "fee for service" model. PEPFAR has saved an estimated 26 million lives since 2003. HIV experts warn the program will crumble. Congress allocated nearly $6 billion for the program this fiscal year; the administration is reportedly withholding funds. Sources: LGBTQ Nation, Science/AAAS, AVAC. Story 4 — Trevor Project 2025 National Survey Released May 6, 2026. Based on 16,000+ LGBTQ+ young people ages 13–24. Key findings: LGBTQ+ youth in accepting communities attempted suicide at less than one-third the rate of those in non-accepting communities; 85% of trans and nonbinary youth say anti-trans legislation debates have negatively impacted their mental health. Crisis support: thetrevorproject.org or call/text 988. Source: The Trevor Project. Story 5 — NYC Pride 2026 Grand Marshals NYC Pride announced its 2026 grand marshals: Peppermint (Drag Race Season 9 runner-up, first out trans woman to originate a principal Broadway role, ACLU's first Artist Ambassador for Trans Justice); Dominique Jackson (Pose, ballroom icon); Bowen Yang (SNL, Las Culturistas, first Chinese-American SNL cast member, Emmy winner); Bernie Wagenblast (voice of the NYC subway); and Gays Against Guns (founded after Pulse massacre, 2016). Theme: "For All of Us." March: June 28, broadcast live on WABC-7. Sources: The Advocate, GLAAD, ABC7 NY. Story 6 — UK Mother Sues School Over Trans Student Joanna Donoghue filed a pre-action letter for judicial review against Beverley High School in East Yorkshire after the school admitted a transgender girl without notifying parents. The school cited GDPR and the Equality Act. Her lawyers argue the admissions policy is unlawful following the 2025 UK Supreme Court ruling defining "sex" as biological sex. Sources: PinkNews, GB News. Story 7 — 517 Anti-LGBTQ+ Bills in 2026 Per the ACLU, at least 517 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced by Republican state legislators in 2026 — before Pride Month. Targets include healthcare, education, sports, legal identity, libraries, drag, and more. Sources: ACLU (via The Advocate/NYC Pride materials).   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.