Ep. 351: Midterm Election Day 2026: Why Every LGBTQ+ Vote Counts Right Now | This Is Everything

On Election Day 2026, Zach Randles-Friedman delivers an unfiltered call to action for LGBTQ+ listeners and allies. In this solo This Is Everything episode, he walks through the policies that have hit the community hardest over the past two years: the federal two-sex definition, the loss of the X gender marker on passports, pressure on hospitals providing gender-affirming care, the trans military ban, prison placement rules, and cuts to LGBTQ+ health programs at home and abroad. He connects those fights to the everyday costs voters are feeling, from gas and groceries to tariffs and the war in Iran.

Zach also spotlights the races and candidates he’s watching, including James Talarico’s Senate run against Ken Paxton in Texas, the false rumor campaign launched against Talarico, and Democratic governors Andy Beshear and Laura Kelly, who have held on in red states. He shares data on the wave of anti-LGBTQ+ bills, the record number of out candidates on the ballot, and the share of LGBTQ+ adults considering leaving their states. His message is simple: polls don’t vote, people do. Vote the whole ballot, bring someone with you, and if you don’t vote, don’t complain.

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