Queer News

This week on the Queer News podcast, for our top story we cover the state of gender-affirming care for youth that remains in limbo here in Illinois. In politics, The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund released their April list of endorsements, and Jayee Cooper wins a settlement from USA Powerlifting. In culture and entertainment, Utah Drag Queens win their settlement against the state, and we highlight queer owned bookstores to support on Indie bookstore day. Let's get into it. Want to support this podcast? 🏳️‍🌈 Join the QCrew: If you believe LGBTQ stories need to be amplified, support the work we do. Join the QCrew for as low as $5 a month, https://bit.ly/3L3Ng66 🎧 We are Queer News Done Right. 00:26 Welcome to Queer News 05:55 Join the QCrew, https://bit.ly/JoinQCrew 06:29 Leave a Queer News Tip, Email info at e3radio.fm or leave a message here https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/243669/19/rc6z5z67pp1op502 06:50 Queer News Headlines 07:26 Illinois youth access to gender affirming care remains in limbo in the aftermath of a new federal ruling 12:20 The LGBTQ Victory Fund Announces their Candidate Endorsements 14:54 JayCee Cooper and USA Powerlifting Reach a Settlement 18:53 Book an ad today! Email info @ e3radio.fm 19:23 Subscribe to the Queer News Newsletter, https://bit.ly/QueerNews 19:57 Drag Queens Win Lawsuit Against the State of Utah 21:59 Chicago's Independent Bookstore day was April 25th and here's a list of the queer owned bookstores you should visit this year. 25:54 Anna's Got A Word 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ Important Episode Links Join the QCrew! Giving starts as low as $5/month Send In a Queer News Tip or email info at e3radio dot fm Our Candidates – LGBTQ+ Victory Fund 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ Interested in advertising? Email: info at e3radio.fm Subscribe to our YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/@e3radio 📣 Stay Connected Subscribe for news & queer deals: Queer News Newsletter, https://bit.ly/QueerNews Follow Anna @annadeshawn on social for the latest queer news updates! Rate, review, and share this episode to help amplify LGBTQ+ voices. 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ This week's episode of Queer News is packed with historic milestones, urgent calls for justice, and accountability. Here is your social-media-ready breakdown of every story from Episode 336. This Week's Top Story Illinois youth access to gender affirming care remains in limbo in the aftermath of a new federal ruling On April 18th, the U.S. District Judge Mustafa Kasubhai issued a ruling that reversed the treacherous Trump administration's policies aiming to end medicare and medicaid from providing gender-affirming care to minors. While the ruling eases hospitals' fears of losing federal funding if they were to provide gender-affirming care to minors, the hospitals that have already cut, and/or gutted their gender-affirming care programs have no legal obligation to reinstate them. In Illinois, UChicago Medicine, Rush University Medical Center and Lurie Children's Hospital have all disbanded their gender-affirming care for minors, and none of those hospitals have released a statement and any indication that they plan to reinstate the programs anytime soon. This Week In Politics The LGBTQ Victory Fund Announces their Candidate Endorsements In the whirlwind of this political climate it can be challenging to find guidance on candidates to support in your local and national elections this year. The LGBTQ+ Victory Fund just released their list of endorsements which highlight 57 new candidates for people to support. Candidates who earn an endorsement from the LGBTQ+ Victory Fund must "be an out member of the LGBTQ+ community who supports LGBTQ+ equality and the right to bodily autonomy and demonstrates a path to victory." JayCee Cooper and USA Powerlifting Reach a Settlement We first covered this story back in episode 306, but we have an update in the JayCee Cooper vs USA powerlifting case. JayCee Cooper won the Minnesota Supreme Court's unanimous approval back in 2025 after she faced discrimination during a powerlifting tournament. On the lawsuit, Cooper commented: "I don't want anyone to experience what I and other trans athletes have and continue to experience: having our basic human dignity questioned and opportunities denied because we are trans…We all benefit when sports are as inclusive as possible, when we organize around our shared humanity and collective empowerment." This settlement is a great win for JayCee Cooper and all trans women in sports as it sets a precedent that discrimination can and should continue to be challenged in the court of law and that it's possible to win cases like this. This Week In Culture & Entertainment Drag Queens Win Lawsuit Against the State of Utah Drag Queens in Utah win big in a lawsuit against the state. The state of Utah has been court ordered to pay $350,000 dollars in attorney fees to the Southern Utah Drag Stars after Judge David Nuffer ruled in their favor. The legal battle between the Southern Utah Drag Stars and the city of St. George continued for three years until they reached a settlement back in 2025. In April, and federal judge ruled that the city must also cover the legal fees of the drag queens who sued the city of St. George, resulting in the $350,000 going towards the attorneys. In cases similar to the one in Utah, judges have been shown to rule in favor of the first amendment which is what the Southern Utah Drag Stars said was violated in their initial lawsuit back in 2023. Chicago's Independent Bookstore day was April 25th and here's a list of the queer owned bookstores you should visit this year. April 25th was national Indiependent bookstore day, and all over the country people spent the day supporting these stores through book buying block parties, exclusive author signings, and special story times for families. Chicago does things a bit differently by hosting a city wide bookstore crawl. A whopping 82 independent bookstores participated in the crawl this year which is a significant increase from the 54 stores last year. Goblin Market, Unabridged Books, and Women and Children First are a few of the queer-owned indie bookstores that participate in the bookstore crawl. If you missed independent bookstore day this year, worry not because these queer owned bookstores are open year round. You also have time to plan your route for next year, and should add these stores to your 2027 bookstore crawl. Anna's Word 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ About Queer News An intersectional approach to a weekly news podcast where race & sexuality meet politics, entertainment and culture. Tune-in to reporting which centers & celebrates all of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & comrade communities. Hosted by Anna DeShawn. New pod drops every Monday by 9am CT. Edited by Ryan Woodhall for Public Sound. Brought to you by E3 Radio, and distributed on The Qube.

This week on the Queer News podcast, Our top story features an imprisoned Trans Woman who is set to receive 200K from the state of Oregon as a part of a settlement. In politics, Texas Tech prohibits students from writing about queer topics, and Idaho gets creative in the face of a pride flag ban. In sports, the WNBA will induct five lgbtq+ women into their hall of fame. In culture and entertainment, The Denver Queer Community joined together in an attempt to save their only lesbian bar. Want to support this podcast? 🏳️‍🌈 Join the QCrew: If you believe LGBTQ stories need to be amplified, support the work we do. Join the QCrew for as low as $5 a month, https://bit.ly/3L3Ng66 🎧 We are Queer News Done Right. 00:26 Welcome to Queer News 03:12 Join the QCrew, https://bit.ly/JoinQCrew 03:43 Leave a Queer News Tip, Email info at e3radio.fm or leave a message here https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/243669/19/rc6z5z67pp1op502 04:01 Queer News Headlines 04:36 Oregon to Pay $295K To An Imprisoned Trans Woman As A Part of A Lawsuit Settlement 07:16 Texas Tech's New Ban Prohibits Students From Writing About Queer Topics 11:04 Idaho Gets Creative in The face of a Pride Flag Ban 14:19 Amnesty April is back from Chicago's City Clerk Anna Valencia 15:11 Book an ad today! Email info @ e3radio.fm 15:41 Subscribe to the Queer News Newsletter, https://bit.ly/QueerNews 16:16 Highlighting the Queer Women Set To Be Inducted Into The WNBA Hall of Fame This Year 21:24 Denver's Queer Community Came Together To Try To Save Their Only Lesbian Bar 23:02 Anna's Got A Word 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ Important Episode Links Join the QCrew! Giving starts as low as $5/month Send In a Queer News Tip or email info at e3radio dot fm 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ Interested in advertising? Email: info at e3radio.fm Subscribe to our YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/@e3radio 📣 Stay Connected Subscribe for news & queer deals: Queer News Newsletter, https://bit.ly/QueerNews Follow Anna @annadeshawn on social for the latest queer news updates! Rate, review, and share this episode to help amplify LGBTQ+ voices. 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ This week's episode of Queer News is packed with historic milestones, urgent calls for justice, and accountability. Here is your social-media-ready breakdown of every story from Episode 335. This Week's Top Story Oregon to Pay $295K To An Imprisoned Trans Woman As A Part of A Lawsuit Settlement Reparations! The state of Oregon has been ordered to pay an imprisoned trans woman $295k as a part of a lawsuit settlement. Zera Lola Zombie is the woman at the center of this case, and her team of lawyers first sought legal action back in 2021. According to the lawsuit, Zera faced "ongoing harassment and verbal, mental, and psychological abuse by both prisoners and staff as a result of her sex, gender, and gender identity,". A payment in the amount of $95K will go out to Zera herself, while her team of lawyers will receive the remaining 200K. Zara will continue to serve her current sentence of "manslaughter and first-degree assault following the death of a girlfriend in 2014" and is set to be released in 2049. This Week In Politics Texas Tech's New Ban Prohibits Students From Writing About Queer Topics Don't say gay? Well at Texas Tech apparently you can't write gay either. The university has issued a ban on student thesis and dissertations writing about lgbtq+ discussion topics. In addition, Professors are also to refrain from teaching anything related to lgbtq+ discussion topics. In a current administration that's hell bent on removing queer history, the elimination of these programs is downright dangerous for the preservation and continued study of queer history. 25 year associate professor Jen Shelton told the local news that "I think the whole university has been betrayed. I think even the provost did not expect it to look like this." Idaho Gets Creative in The face of a Pride Flag Ban On Trans Day of Visibility, Idaho republicans succeeded in compelling Idaho Governor Brad into passing a state law that fined "cities for flying flags that aren't on the Legislature's pre-approved list". Surprise, surprise the pride flag isn't on that list, essentially punishing any city that continued to fly the flag. On the passing of the state law Republican State Senator Ben Toews said "The ultimate goal is for us to fly flags that unite and don't divide." The City Hall in Boise was quick to comply with the law and took their pride flag down soon after the law was passed. Officials who opposed the ban got crafty and raised their own 'Pride flag poles" instead. The flag poles are painted in the rainbow that can also be found on the pride flag. This Week In Sports Highlighting the Queer Women Set To Be Inducted Into The WNBA Hall of Fame This Year The WNBA Hall of Fame is extra queer this year and we love to see it. Olympic gold medalists Sheryl Swoopes, Jennifer Azzi, Chamique Holdsclaw, Candace Parker, and Elena Delle Donne are the five queer women who are set to be inducted into the WNBA Hall of Fame later this year. Each woman on that list has an extensive career with the WNBA and is no doubt vital to the organization's success. This Week In Culture & Entertainment Denver's Queer Community Came Together To Try To Save Their Only Lesbian Bar The Pearl is Denver's only Lesbian bar and earlier this month they announced to their patrons that they would be closing at the end of the month. Within hours of the announcement the owners of the Pearl launched a gofundme for the beloved lesbian bar and by the end of the day, the Denver queer community banded together and they had raised over 83,000 dollars. Since then the owners have closed the gofundme, reassuring people that the funds will be allocated to their staff and to keeping the bar open through June. However, as of writing this story their instagram account has been deleted, and their website lists the bar as closed leaving many concerned about the future of the bar. The plot continues to thicken, as last week members of the pearl staff released their own joint statement revealing details about the gofundme funds and the owner(s) who launched the crowdfunding campaign in the first place. The staff asked people to report the GoFundMe as fraudulent, and that a lack of accountability on part of some of the ownership team has led to discord between the staff and owners of the bar. Anna's Word Today's Anna's Got a Word is inspired by the panel she co-moderated for Lesbian Visibility Week titled The Terms We Use where they discussed terms like saphhic, dyke, FLINTA, queer and so many others. From that conversation Anna wanted to share that defining you for yourself is really what's most important. 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ About Queer News An intersectional approach to a weekly news podcast where race & sexuality meet politics, entertainment and culture. Tune-in to reporting which centers & celebrates all of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & comrade communities. Hosted by Anna DeShawn. New pod drops every Monday by 9am CT. Edited by Ryan Woodhall for Public Sound. Brought to you by E3 Radio, and distributed on The Qube.

This week on the Queer News podcast Anna DeShawn reports, our top story mourns the life of Davonta Curtis, a trans woman who was brutally murdered in Chicago earlier this week. In politics the Montana Supreme Court steps up to protect their trans citizens, and The Pride at Stonewall is here to stay. In culture and entertainment, It's Lesbian Visibility Week and Sports power couple Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe have split up. Let's get into it. Want to support this podcast? 🏳️‍🌈 Join the QCrew: If you believe LGBTQ stories need to be amplified, support the work we do. Join the QCrew for as low as $5 a month, https://bit.ly/3L3Ng66 🎧 We are Queer News Done Right. 00:26 Welcome to Queer News 02:51 Join the QCrew, https://bit.ly/JoinQCrew 03:25 Leave a Queer News Tip, Email info at e3radio.fm or leave a message here https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/243669/19/rc6z5z67pp1op502 03:56 Queer News Headlines 04:34 Her Name Was Davonta Curtis, And She Should Still Be Here Today 07:41 Montana Supreme Court Steps Up To Protect Their Trans Citizens 11:19 The Pride Flag At Stonewall Is Here To Stay 13:36 Amnesty April is back from Chicago's City Clerk Anna Valencia 14:28 Book an ad today! Email info @ e3radio.fm 14:58 Subscribe to the Queer News Newsletter, https://bit.ly/QueerNews 15:32 It's Lesbian Visibility Week 18:20 Love isn't in the air? Lesbian Power Couple Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe Have Split Up 20:43 Anna's Got A Word 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ Important Episode Links Join the QCrew! Giving starts as low as $5/month Send In a Queer News Tip or email info at e3radio dot fm Beyond the Rainbow: The Terms We Use panel Beyond the Rainbow: The Terms We Use panel (Virtual) 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ Interested in advertising? Email: info at e3radio.fm Subscribe to our YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/@e3radio 📣 Stay Connected Subscribe for news & queer deals: Queer News Newsletter, https://bit.ly/QueerNews Follow Anna @annadeshawn on social for the latest queer news updates! Rate, review, and share this episode to help amplify LGBTQ+ voices. 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ This week's episode of Queer News is packed with historic milestones, urgent calls for justice, and accountability. Here is your social-media-ready breakdown of every story from Episode 334. This Week's Top Story Her Name Was Davonta Curtis, And She Should Still Be Here Today A 31 year-old trans woman was found murdered in her own home. Her name was Davonta Curtis, and she should still be here today. Here's what we know. The morning of April 8th Davonta was found by Chicago PD with a blunt forced trauma to her head. She was pronounced dead on the scene in East Garfield Park. That's two days after her boyfriend, Deandre Bell was arrested and brought in for questioning .On April 11th, during a hearing, it was revealed by Cook County Prosecutors that Bell Googled "how to kill someone with a hammer" and "if a person gets hit in the head with a hammer while sleeping what happens" Bell was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle (allegedly Davonta's) and one count of murder in the first degree. Shortly after the hearing the Judge ordered the Bell be detained. Bell's next court date is April 29th. Rest in Power Davonta Curtis,. You deserved so much more than what the world gave you. This Week In Politics Montana Supreme Court Steps Up To Protect Their Trans Citizens In a nearly unanimous vote, the Montana Supreme Court voted 5-2 declaring that "transgender discrimination is, by its very nature, sex discrimination" in the case of Kalarchik v. State of Montana. The case centers on two trans women who argued against a 2022/2021's law about sex markers on official Montana ID markers such as birth certificates and drivers licenses. This trend of states voting in favor of changing legislation so that it further protects their trans citizens is a welcome change, and a much needed protection in the event that the federal government acts out. The Pride Flag At Stonewall Is Here To Stay The Trump Administration lost a lawsuit filed by Lambda Legal back in February on behalf of the Gilbert Baker Foundation. Gilbert Baker is the creator of the rainbow pride flag. As a part of the settlement, the pride flag at Stonewall is here to stay. As many of you remember (and were there in person) The Trump Administration abruptly removed the pride flag at Stonewall earlier this year. A day of rapid organization led to a protest at Stonewall which resulted in the pride flag being returned to its original place of rest. May we never forget that When we fight, we win. This Week In Culture & Entertainment It's Lesbian Visibility Week It's Lesbian Visibility week and the theme for this year is Healing and Wellness. The Lesbian Visibility Week of North America has the next seven days filled with in-person and virtual panels, film screenings and discussions, Exhibits, and Celebrations of people in our community. To check out the full schedule, head to www.lesbianvisibility.org/#events. On Friday, I'll be speaking on the panel Beyond the Rainbow: The Terms We Use. The panel will analyze how certain terms shift definitions over time between generations and how to bridge the gap as language continues to evolve. The panel is at 3PM CT and will be virtual. I hope to see you there! Love isn't in the air? Lesbian Power Couple Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe Have Split Up Love isn't in the air in the world of sports. If social media is any indication, I'm sure by now you've all seen the news that Olympian and four time WNBA title holder Sue Bird and Soccer Olympic Gold medalist Megan Rapinoe have decided to go their separate ways. The two retired from playing in their respective leagues in the early 2020s, and Sue Bird was just inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2025 and currently works as the WNBA's national team managing director. Although their joint podcast: A Touch More is coming to an end, it's not an abrupt one. The same day it was announced by Bird that six special episodes are set to release as a "farewell to you all and to this space." Anna's Word 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ About Queer News An intersectional approach to a weekly news podcast where race & sexuality meet politics, entertainment and culture. Tune-in to reporting which centers & celebrates all of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & comrade communities. Hosted by Anna DeShawn. New pod drops every Monday by 9am CT. Edited by Ryan Woodhall of Public Sound. Brought to you by E3 Radio, and distributed on The Qube.

This week on the Queer News podcast Anna DeShawn reports, in politics politicians fail to pass multiple pieces of anti-LGBTQ+ legislations in Georgia, Wisconsin, and Kentucky. In culture and entertainment, Chicago's Lesbian Bar Dorothy Gains A Sibling Named Fathom, and Poet Laureate avery r. young Debuts safronia at the Lyric Opera. Let's get into it. Want to support this podcast? 🏳️‍🌈 Join the QCrew: If you believe LGBTQ stories need to be amplified, support the work we do. Join the QCrew for as low as $5 a month, https://bit.ly/3L3Ng66 🎧 We are Queer News Done Right. 00:26 Welcome to Queer News 02:00 Join the QCrew, https://bit.ly/JoinQCrew 02:29 Leave a Queer News Tip, Email info at e3radio.fm or leave a message here https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/243669/19/rc6z5z67pp1op502 02:54 Queer News Headlines 03:36 No new anti-lgbtq legislation passed in Georgia this year 05:50 Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers Vetos multiple anti-trans bills 08:27 Republicans Fail To Ban Trans Teachers In Kentucky 12:10 Amnesty April is back from Chicago's City Clerk Anna Valencia 13:03 Book an ad today! Email info @ e3radio.fm 14:35 Subscribe to the Queer News Newsletter, https://bit.ly/QueerNews 15:09 The Lesbian Bar Dorothy Gains A Sibling Bar In Lakeview 17:46 avery r. young To Debut At the Lyric Opera 22:08 Anna's Word 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ Important Episode Links Get your tickets to Safronia at the Lyric with avery r. young Join the QCrew! Giving starts as low as $5/month Send In a Queer News Tip or email info at e3radio dot fm 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ Interested in advertising? Email: info at e3radio.fm Subscribe to our YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/@e3radio 📣 Stay Connected Subscribe for news & queer deals: Queer News Newsletter, https://bit.ly/QueerNews Follow Anna @annadeshawn on social for the latest queer news updates! Rate, review, and share this episode to help amplify LGBTQ+ voices. 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ This week's episode of Queer News is packed with historic milestones, urgent calls for justice, and accountability. Here is your social-media-ready breakdown of every story from Episode 333. This Week's Top Story No new anti-lgbtq legislation passed in Georgia this year Family, great news coming from Georgia. No new anti-lgbtq legislation passed in Georgia this legislative year. Georgia Equality celebrated the news on blueskyy, writing "After a late night at the Capitol to finish out the 2026 legislative session, we could not be more excited to share that WE DID IT! We successfully defeated ALL of the nearly 15 pieces of anti-LGBTQ legislation!" The Georgia governing body cannot convene for a new legislative season until 2027 thanks to local state laws. Governor Brian Kemp can call an emergency special session, and the move has been done by previous governors, but right now Kemp has 40 days to veto or pass all 2026 legislation so that should keep him occupied for some time. This Week In Politics Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers Vetos multiple anti-trans bills Wisconsin Democratic Governor Tony Evers was handing vetoes out left and right on Trans Day of Visibility. In total he vetoed five anti-trans bills in a small ceremony surrounded by the lgbtq+ community. Evers has stood on business since 2023, vetoing any and all anti-lgbtq legislation that hits his desk. He tweeted back in 2024 that "Republicans' anti-LGBTQ bills targeting trans kids will never become law as long as I'm governor. I'll keep my promise to veto any bill making Wisconsin less safe, less inclusive, and less welcoming for LGBTQ people and kids—including this one. And I'll be damn proud to do it." Republicans Fail To Ban Trans Teachers In Kentucky In a sea of anti-lgbt+ legislation being passed left and right, it's nice to hear about some failures, like the failure by Kentucky Republicans to pass HB 759. The bill was so poorly constructed that it didn't even receive the attention of the senate who were scheduled to vote on it this month. The bill was designed by GOP lawmaker State Sen. Gex Williams as an amendment to HB 759 and teaching certifications but aimed to attack trans teachers. To add more salt to Kentucky Republicans wounds, the failure to pass HB 759 means that for the first time in many years, no new anti-lgbtq+ legislation was passed in Kentucky during this legislative season! Now, we should still be vigilant for any bills sneaking their way into the next legislative season, but it's nice to celebrate wins when we can. This Week In Culture & Entertainment The Lesbian Bar Dorothy Gains A Sibling Bar In Lakeview The cherished lesbian bar Dorothy has been a staple for the queer community since it's opening in 2020 in Ukaranian village. Known for their curated events such as dj spotlight nights, bartender mix offs, silent book clubs, and so much more, Dorothy offers a place of respite and community for any and everyone, but especially lesbians. Now the owners Whitney Lamora and Zoe Schor are expanding to Lakeview with their new bar Fathom. The bar has a kitchen, a patio area, and patrons can expect events such as karaoke and trivia. Fathom opened on April 9th and rapidly hit capacity which is a testament to how excited the Chicago queer community was to support Whitney and Zoe. Fathom opens at 5pm daily with the hours aiming to expand in the coming months. Dorothy opens daily at 6pm. avery r. young To Debut At the Lyric Opera The Lyric Opera is poised to present the world premiere of "safronia" this month. Chicago's Inaugural poet laureate, author, and interdisciplinary artist avery r. young is credited as the Composer and Librettist of safronia. In addition, he will play the Booker family's patriarch baar booker marking this as his mainstage debut at the Lyric Opera. avery also has credits in art pieces featured at The Hip Hop Theatre Festival, The Museum of Contemporary Art, and American Jazz Museum. avery took inspiration from his own life in the creation of this story, describing the world of safronia as if "You're walking down Chicago Avenue and you stumble upon a church where Curtis Mayfield is conducting Parliament-Funkadelic, but Mavis [Staples] and her sisters and daddy are singing. That's what I wanted to make the world." safronia runs for April 18th and 19th at the Lyric Opera House. 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ Anna's Word About Queer News An intersectional approach to a weekly news podcast where race & sexuality meet politics, entertainment and culture. Tune-in to reporting which centers & celebrates all of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & comrade communities. Hosted by Anna DeShawn. New pod drops every Monday by 9am CT. Edited by Ryan Woodhall for Public Sound. Brought to you by E3 Radio, and distributed on The Qube.

This week on the Queer News podcast Anna DeShawn reports, in top news The Supreme Court has made a decision in the conversion therapy case Chiles v. Salazar. We mourn the loss of Black Trans Activist and drag performer Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray, and in politics, state representative Malcolm Kenyatta sponsored a bill in Pennsylvania to protect marriage equality and it passed. In culture and entertainment, studies find that 85% of Americans support trans-rights, Elliot Page to introduce an all trans and non-binary cast production of Shakespear's As You Like It, and Ironman's first all-trans relay team places third. Let's get into it. Want to support this podcast? 🏳️‍🌈 Join the QCrew: If you believe LGBTQ stories need to be amplified, support the work we do. Join the QCrew for as low as $5 a month, https://bit.ly/3L3Ng66 🎧 We are Queer News Done Right. 00:26 Welcome to Queer News 01:45 Join the QCrew, https://bit.ly/JoinQCrew 02:10 Leave a Queer News Tip, Email info at e3radio.fm or leave a message here https://www.speakpipe.com/msg/s/243669/19/rc6z5z67pp1op502 02:35 Queer News Headlines 03:32 The Supreme Court Votes 8-1 In the Chiles v Salizar Case 06:34 Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray, Black Drag Performer And Activist, Killed at 42 09:03 The Pennsylvania House of Representatives Step Up To Protect Marriage Equality 11:00 Book an ad today! Email info @ e3radio.fm 12:37 Subscribe to the Queer News Newsletter, https://bit.ly/QueerNews 13:12 A Recent Human Rights Campaign Study finds that 85% of Americans support trans-rights 15:36 Elliot Page to introduce an all trans and non-binary cast for the production of Shakespear's As You Like It 18:28 Chella Man, Schuyler Bailar, and Cal Calamia are the first all-trans Ironman relay team to compete in the sport, and they just won third place! 21:15 Anna's Word 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ Important Episode Links Get Tickets to the ALL trans Shakespeare Production of As You Like It Join the QCrew! Giving starts as low as $5/month Send In a Queer News Tip or email info at e3radio dot fm 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ Interested in advertising? Email: info at e3radio.fm Subscribe to our YouTube Channel https://youtube.com/@e3radio 📣 Stay Connected Subscribe for news & queer deals: Queer News Newsletter, https://bit.ly/QueerNews Follow Anna @annadeshawn on social for the latest queer news updates! Rate, review, and share this episode to help amplify LGBTQ+ voices. 🌈✊🏾🏳️‍⚧️✨ This week's episode of Queer News is packed with historic milestones, urgent calls for justice, and accountability. Here is your social-media-ready breakdown of every story from Episode 332. This Week's Top Story The Supreme Court Votes 8-1 In the Chiles v Salizar Case The Supreme Court voted nearly unanimously in their decision regarding the case of Chiles v Salazar. The 8 - 1 vote was in agreement that the Colorado law banning conversion therapy for minors likely unconstitutional as a violation of the first amendment. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson was the sole dissenter on the case, stating that her reason for dissent was in part because "Not only is conversion therapy ineffective, former participants report that it causes lasting psychological harm. Gay and transgender children who underwent nonaversive conversion therapy say they were taught to feel shame and self-hatred. Survivors continue to suffer from PTSD, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. As one survivor put it, conversion therapy "'came close to killing me.'" The bill will now be sent back to Colorado for a final decision. We break down the Supreme Court's Decision even further in Episode One of The Docket, a three-part video series delves into the constitutional stakes and human impact of the 2026 term's key LGBTQ+ cases. Coming soon to the E3 Radio Youtube Channel. Subscribe to be one of the first to see the first episode about Conversion Therapy. This Week In Politics Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray, Black Drag Performer And Activist, Killed at 42 Family, another trans sibling was taken from this earth far too soon. 42 year-old Shyyell Diamond Sanchez-McCray, a beloved Black trans activist and Drag performer, was killed. The Petersburg police found Shyyell with multiple gunshot wounds in her home on March 13th, where she later passed away on scene. Shyyell is the first reported trans person to die by violence this year. Shyyell was known in the Petersburg community for her work in pageants. She often competed and won the Miss Mayflower EOY in 2015 and the Miss Charlotte FFI in 2020. In addition to competing, her activism was prevalent on social media where she would often speak out about the cruel injustices against marginalized communities. Shyyell also worked with the nonprofit, Nationz Foundation, where she provided HIV/STD testing to the local Petersburg community. The Pennsylvania House of Representatives Step Up To Protect Marriage Equality The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted on a bill to codify marriage equality into law. The Bill, introduced to the house by state representative Malcolm Kenyatta, would have the legal union between two people written as "two individuals" in place of the archaic phrase "one man and one woman." This vote aims to protect marriage equality at the state level, as an extra layer of protection in addition to the federal protections that are currently in place. The bill is now headed to the State senate, which is currently a republican majority. We'll continue to update you on this bill as things develop. This Week In Culture & Entertainment A Recent Human Rights Campaign Study finds that 85% of Americans support trans-rights 85% of Americans support trans rights! At least, according to a recent survey conducted by the Human Rights Campaign. Researchers found that of the 1,032 people surveyed, "41% of American adults know a trans person, whilst 27% report "regular conversations" with a trans person." 85% believe that trans people should have "the same rights and protections as everyone else", and 89% said the trans community should have the same ability as anyone else to get the necessary healthcare.⁠" Elliot Page to introduce an all trans and non-binary cast for the production of Shakespear's As You Like It Elliot Page will introduce an all trans and non-binary cast for the production of Shakespear's As You Like It. The Production is slated to open summer 2026 in London and is helmed by the company Trans What You Will Theatre whose mission is to "to provide opportunities for those under the trans umbrella to come together and make us laugh and cry and show the world how precious and wonderful gender diversity can be". Previews for the production will be held July 22nd and 23rd with an exclusive matinee for LGBTQ+ youth under 25. July 24 will be the premiere and will be livestreamed globally. This production is directed by Queer, trans, disabled director Phoebe Kemp who previously directed a production of Twelfth Night. Chella Man, Schuyler Bailar, and Cal Calamia are the first all-trans Ironman relay team to compete in the sport, and they just won third place! Deaf nonbinary cyclist Chella Man, champion trans swimmer Schuyler Bailar, and trans nonbinary marathoner Cal Calamia are the first all-trans Ironman relay team to compete in the sport, and they just won third place at the 2026 Athletic Brewing Ironman 70.3 Oceanside competition! Team Iron Transmasc beat out 200 teams to secure their third place victory on March 28th. Competing in an Ironman relay race consists of a swim (1.9km), bike (90km), and run (21.1km) split between a duo or a trio. Anna's Word The word for today is inspired by Anna's Dad Easter sermon where he reminded the congregation, "How long, not long." A phrase coined by Dr. King pertaining to getting justice for Black folks here in America. Anna's Dad used it in the context for the time we have to live on earth and how we choose to use our time. How long, not long. He challenged the congregation to use their time to do the work they are called to do and to give grace where it is needed. About Queer News An intersectional approach to a weekly news podcast where race & sexuality meet politics, entertainment and culture. Tune-in to reporting which centers & celebrates all of our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & comrade communities. Hosted by Anna DeShawn. New pod drops every Monday by 9am CT. Edited by Ryan Woodhall. Brought to you by E3 Radio, and distributed on The Qube.