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Hear amazing tales of the binary-defying civil rights activist, labor organizer, lawyer, author and first Black woman Episcopal priest the Rev. Dr. Pauli Murray. In the news, marriage equality is outlawed in Senegal, there’s no port for the gay Scarlet Lady cruise ship in Egypt either, and New Hampshire and California adopt different attitudes about transgender youth while Trans and Intersex Pride Marchers in Dublin target the One Percent. Featured speakers: Trans and Intersex Pride Co-Founder Ollie Bell, Sara Canning, Associate Professor of History at Antioch College Dr. Kevin McGruder, Associate Professor of Social Ethics at Union Theological Seminary Dr. Sarah Azaransky, Cathedral of St. John the Divine Rev. Canon Dr. Kelly Brown Douglas Credits: Associate Producer/Host Lucia Chappelle, News writer Jeb Backe, NewsWrap reporters Marcos Najera and Tanya Kane-Parry Music: Rev. Delores Berry and Kim Wilson Special thanks to the American LGBTQ+ Museum and the Cathedral of St. John the Divine for their permission to air the Celebration of Pauli Murray.

We celebrate the history and continuing activism of Dyke Marches across the U.S. with Professor Sara Angevine and voices from the streets of Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles. In the news, the U.S. Supreme Court rules against transgender student athletes, a Russian court convicts the staff of an "extremist" drag club, Republicans erase Pride Month from military recognition, and Turkish authorities arrest Pride demonstrators while blocking a cruise ship's drag performance. And the Rainbow Rewind honors gay military pioneer Lt. Leonard Matlovich Featured speakers: Camilla B. Taylor, Professor Sara Angevine Credits: Associate Producer/Host Lucia Chappelle, Producer Brian DeShazor, News writer Jeb Backe, feature producer Abigail DeRoberts, NewsWrap reporters Ava Davis and Michael Lebeau music: Isis and Kim Wilson

This week on This Way Out: Emma Schulman takes to the LAPRIDE streets to hear what folks have to say about PRIDE, plus, a Rainbow Rewind featuring playwright, activist, Larry Kramer and in the news, the Supreme Courts of Nepal and Eswatini are ordering marriage equality and queer civil rights; don’t bet on trans protections in the U.K.’s game of Prime Minister roulette, and don’t bet on the New York Times for covering trans news; say goodbye to U.S.-funded AIDS care via PEPFAR in South Africa, but say hello to animal world DEI in the documentary Second Nature. Credits: Associate Producer/Host Lucia Chappelle, Producer Brian DeShazor, News writer Jeb Backe, feature producer Emma Schulman, NewsWrap reporters Marcos Najera and Ret, music: Purrfect the way you are by Tatsu & Lyov, Two, Three, Fall by Mice Parade from Freemusicarchive License by CC BY-NC-ND, and Kim Wilson

This week on This Way Out: in the second installment of our special Pride Month collaboration with Los Angeles' Get Lit – Words Ignite, young poets respond to the voices of James Baldwin and Urvashi Vaid with original spoken-word performances that bridge generations of LGBTQ history, literature, and activism. Plus, a Rainbow Rewind featuring Patricia Nell Warren and Harvey Fierstein, and in Newswrap: the Netherlands' ban on conversion therapy, a Trump administration lawsuit targeting the world's leading transgender health organization, cuts to LGBTQ veterans' health programs, Niger's expanding crackdown on LGBTQ people, and an openly gay referee making FIFA World Cup history. Featured speakers:, James Baldwin, Brian Sonia-Wallace, Urvashi Vaid, Allison Leiva-Reyes and Alina Sadibekova Credits: Associate Producer/Host Lucia Chappelle, Producer Brian DeShazor, News writer Jeb Backe, feature producer Brian DeShazor, NewsWrap reporters, Ava Davis and Nico Raquel, music by Raye and Kim Wilson

In a special Pride Month feature produced by Brian DeShazor, young poets from Los Angeles-based Get Lit – Words Ignite respond to the words of LGBTQ trailblazers across generations. After listening to archival recordings by James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and Quentin Crisp, the poets James Mondares, Candi aka Vonne, and Samantha Rios created original spoken-word pieces inspired by those voices and their enduring messages. The result is a moving intergenerational conversation that connects LGBTQ history, literature, and activism with the experiences of today's emerging writers, demonstrating how the power of queer storytelling continues to inspire new generations. This week on This Way Out, NewsWrap reports on growing concerns over proposed cuts to LGBTQ+ health research and federal grant programs under a new Trump administration plan. We also mark the tenth anniversary of the Pulse nightclub massacre in Orlando, follow protests by transgender rights activists in the United Kingdom over new public-facility restrictions, report on a neo-Nazi disruption of Pride events in Athens, Georgia, and celebrate Broadway history as Qween Jean becomes the first openly transgender Tony Award winner. Featured speakers: Zohran Mamdani, Bruce Villanch, Brian Sonia-Wallace, James Baldwin, James Mondares, Audre Lorde, Candi aka Vonne, Quentin Crisp Samantha Rios Credits: Associate Producer/Lucia Chappelle, Producer/Host Brian DeShazor, News writer Jeb Backe, feature producer Brian DeShazor, NewsWrap reporters, Joe Boehnlein and Melanie Keller, music by Raye and Kim Wilson.

This Way Out celebrates Pride Month with a special look at the power of visibility, community, and resistance. Then, This Way Out visits Los Angeles' historic Founders Metropolitan Community Church for the unveiling of the Rainbow Liberation Steps, a permanent public art installation honoring LGBTQ+ freedom and liberation. The dedication ceremony features community leaders, activists, faith leaders, and members of the congregation reflecting on the continuing struggle for equality and inclusion. NewsWrap reports on Colorado's successful effort to restore its ban on conversion therapy, a federal appeals court ruling blocking the Trump administration's transgender military ban, Pride activists marching forward in Hungary despite government opposition, and Ghana's parliament approving a sweeping anti-LGBTQ law. Finally, This Way Out takes to the streets of Los Angeles to ask a timely question: What would you say to someone who believes Pride is no longer relevant? The answers reveal why Pride continues to matter for LGBTQ+ people and their allies around the world. Featured speakers: Nithya Raman, Phillip Ray De Blieck, Gerald Garth, Lucia Chappelle Credits: Associate Producer/Lucia Chappelle, Producer/Host Brian DeShazor, News writer Jeb Backe, feature producer Brian DeShazor and Lucia Chappelle, NewsWrap reporters, Tanya Kane-Parry and Michael Taylor Gray, music by Maggie Szabo and the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, the Porland Lesbian Choir and Kim Wilson All this on the June 8, 2026 Edition of This Way Out!

Our Pride Season series starts with samples from our upcoming month of specials, with Los Angeles Poet Laureate Brian Sonia-Wallace and series producers Emma Shulman and Abigail DeRoberts. A Rainbow Rewind features June occasions from the birth of Zachary Quinto to the victory of marriage equality. In this week's NewsWrap there’s identification liberation for Kenya’s trans people, there’s been yet another bust at an alleged “gay party” in Malaysia, abusive behavior roils UK schools, the Stonewall National Monument is in jeopardy, and PornHub Sapphic is launching. Featured Speakers: Los Angeles Poet Laureate Brian Sonia-Wallace, Emma Shulman, Abigail DeRoberts, Cherie Moraga, Christopher Isherwood, Harvey Milk, Ivy Botini, Urvashi Vaid, Quentin Chrisp, James Baldwin Credits: Associate Producer/Host Lucia Chappelle, Producer Brian DeShazor, News writer Jeb Backe, feature producer Lucia Chappelle, NewsWrap reporters, Ret and Sarah Montague, music by Kim Wilson All this on the June 1, 2026 Edition of This Way Out!

Was Barney Frank a political hero, a lightning rod—or both? Following the death of the trailblazing gay former Congressmember on May 19, Lucia Chappelle explores the triumphs, tensions, and contradictions behind one of the most influential and debated LGBTQ political figures in U.S. history. Included are recollections from Andy Humm, Ann Northrop of GayUSA and journalist Karen Ocamb (Substack: LGBTQ+ Freedom Fighters). Archive audio from This Way Out archives. And in a Rainbow Rewind, Sir Ian McKellen reflects on coming out. This week’s NewsWrap on This Way Out reports on a rise in drug-resistant Shigella infections disproportionately affecting queer men, as health experts urge prevention without stigma. Missouri LGBTQ+ advocates celebrate the defeat of dozens of anti-queer bills during the state’s legislative session, while activists worldwide mark IDAHOBIT amid both ongoing criminalization and notable legal victories for LGBTQ+ people. In the U.S., a federal judge temporarily blocks the transfer of transgender women to men’s prisons, and the House advances a controversial “Don’t Say Trans” bill targeting transgender students and schools. We also close with a milestone from Leeds, where newly installed Lord Mayor Stephen Holroyd and his partner Simon Mapals make local LGBTQ+ history. Credits: Associate Producer/Lucia Chappelle, Producer/Host Brian DeShazor, News writer Jeb Backe, feature producer Lucia Chappelle, NewsWrap reporters, Marcos Najera and Melanie Keller, music by the Klezmatics and Kim Wilson

Ebony Joseph concludes her three-part series on the global rise of anti-LGBTQ laws with a report from activists in Nigeria and Kenya confronting criminalization, censorship, and severe funding cuts. Organizers describe how anti-LGBTQ legislation affects housing, employment, healthcare, and online safety, while warning that many so-called “family protection” bills across Africa are linked to broader international networks of authoritarian politics and religious conservatism. Despite mounting political hostility, grassroots groups continue building coalitions, supporting vulnerable LGBTQ people, and fighting for dignity, equality, and belonging. In this week’s Newswrap, a record-breaking boycott rocks the Eurovision Song Contest as protests over Israel’s participation intensify amid the war in Gaza, while a new GLAAD report warns that major social media platforms are becoming increasingly unsafe for LGBTQ users. Additional stories include Japan’s growing legal recognition of non-binary people, the delayed opening of a landmark African LGBTQ art exhibition in Washington, D.C., and the European Commission’s decision not to pursue an EU-wide conversion therapy ban despite strong public support. In a Rainbow Rewind, poet Adrienne Rich reflects on responsibility to both past and future generations in a powerful archival excerpt. Featured speakers: Adrienne Rich, Ebony Joseph, JUSTIN CHIDOZIE, MOSES, CHEPKIRUI RONOH, GOODLUCK Credits: Associate Producer/Lucia Chappelle, Producer/Host Brian DeShazor, News writer Jeb Backe, feature producer Ebony Joseph, NewsWrap reporters, Ava Davis and Joe Boehnlein, music by Audra Day, Tom Petty and Kim Wilson

In part two of her series on the global rise of anti-LGBTQ laws, This Way Out’s Ebony Joseph explores how criminalization and political hostility are creating a growing public health crisis for queer communities worldwide. Advocates say laws targeting LGBTQ people not only fuel stigma and violence, but also discourage people from seeking HIV prevention, mental health care, and other essential services. The report highlights countries where fear of arrest or public exposure keeps people from accessing clinics, while anti-LGBTQ rhetoric increasingly spreads from government policy into everyday life. The story also examines the impact of the Trump administration’s cuts to U.S. foreign aid programs, including the dismantling of USAID and restrictions on funding tied to “gender ideology.” Former USAID officials and global health advocates warn that the loss of support for LGBTQ-focused HIV outreach programs could have devastating consequences, especially in countries where queer people already face criminalization. Despite growing hostility, organizers and activists continue building local networks of care and resistance, insisting that queer and trans lives deserve dignity, safety, and access to healthcare. NewsWrap: Botswana amends penal code removing anti-LGBTQ+ provisions which previously criminalized same-sex relationships, United States Trump Administration release 2026 Counterterrorism Strategy defining major terror groups including “violent secular political groups” with ideologies that are “anti-American, radically pro-transgender,” Zambian RightsCon is abruptly cancelled with officials claiming the event does not align with the country’s “national values,” Pennsylvania legislators amend Pennsylvania Human Relations Act prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, Isaac Ranson, a transgender man, joins Minnesota Aurora FC soccer team as the first openly trans player, but must play with women’s team because of his gender assigned at birth— and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by John Dyer the 5th and RET (News Writers Ebony Joseph and Jeb Backe, News Producer Brian DeShazor). Author Armistead Maupin reads from Tales of the City from September 10, 1990 on This Way Out in the Rainbow Rewind.