Midterm Election Watch: What's At Stake and What We Can We Learn from Brazil
This week on the Queer News podcast, our top story breaks down what's at stake in the upcoming midterms across the country. In politics, we look at what Brazil's politics can teach us and Mayor Brandon Johnson's five-year plan for Chicago's LGBTQ+ community. In culture and entertainment, we discuss the WNBA Finals and the PFUND grant applications are now open! Let's get into it!
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00:26 Welcome to Queer News
01:30 Join our Substack
02:23 Join the QCrew, https://bit.ly/JoinQCrew
02:58 Queer News Headlines
03:34 Queer News Election Watch: What's At Stake Across The Nation?
10:58 Brazil Just Had A Historic Election, And America Has A Lot To Learn
15:06 Mayor Brandon Johnson's Reveals His 5-year LGBTQ+ Plan For Chicago
20:13 Queer News WNBA Finals Recap
25:00 PFUND Grant Applications Now Open
26:36 Anna's Word: Be of Service
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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 364.
This Week's Queer News Headlines
Queer News Election Watch: What's At Stake Across The Nation?
Arizona, Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska, and Washington all have ant-LGBTQ+ measures on their ballots that could bring more harm to the LGBTQ+ community should they pass. A majority of the propositions, articles, and initiative measures focus on trans kids in sports. That could be a direct consequence of the Supreme court's decision earlier this summer to entrust the future of legislations regarding trans kids in sports to the local lawmakers of every state. More than half of the US already has some kind of ban against trans kids in sports in place, but a ban wasn't enough for some states, and their blatant transphobia is going to affect everyone, not just trans people.
This Week In Politics
Brazil Just Had A Historic Election, And America Has A Lot To Learn
Across the world there's been a rise in far-right ideologies and governments and Brazil is no exception, however over the course of one election season, the citizens of Brazil voted 35 LGTBQ+ politicians into leadership positions including 14 people into seats in their National Congress. Of the 35 elected officials, 27 are women, 22 are Black women, and 7 of those newly elected officials are trans! This monumental vote now makes Brazil the largest queer delegation amongst the Americas. What's also impressive is the massive turnout of voters. More than 10.7 million votes were counted for the 2026 election which is a steady increase from their 2025 numbers. Erika Hilton, a Black trans woman who was one of the elected officials, received the most votes for a woman in Brazil's history with more than 1.6 million votes. What America could learn from Brazil (or rather be reminded) is that we as a people are stronger together than divided and that a comeback from the far-right is possible.
Mayor Brandon Johnson's Reveals His 5-year LGBTQ+ Plan For Chicago
Turning the political lense to the local scene, Mayor Brandon Johnson has revealed his five-year LGBTQ+ plan for Chicago ahead of the mayoral election. The bulk of his five-year plan is directed at improving health care accessibility and strengthening access to housing. Mayor Brandon Johnson's director of LGBTQ+ Affairs Antonio King outlined the five year plan telling the Windy City Times "This plan's job is to close the distance between what Illinois law provides and what Chicagoans experience day to day."
This Week In Culture & Entertainment
Queer News WNBA Finals Recap
What a week it has been for the WNBA Finals. Chile, from game six being played during brunch hours and still being watched by more than 1.5 million people around the world hours to a historic game seven that was a nail biter the whole way through, people showed up and showed out for the finals. Yours truly took the day to watch game 6 while co-working at Babes Sports Bar and the atmosphere was truly incredible. Coffee and match was flowing, the breakfast bites ate down, and the vibes were unmatched. I couldn't have picked a better spot to watch game six turn into game 7. With a final score of 68-63, the Golden State Valkyries went on to become WNBA Champions in their second year in the league.
PFUND Grant Applications Now Open
The PFUND Foundation is providing grants for LGBTQ+ nonprofits and individuals hosting storytelling events focused on LGBTQ+ narratives. Through their event sponsorship grant, PFUND will provide $250 - $1000 "for events, gatherings, conferences, and convenings serving LGBTQ+ individuals and communities."
Anna's Word: Be of Service
"Service is the rent we pay for the privilege of living on this earth. In everything you do, ask yourself: how are you being of service?"
Family, when I wake up exhausted in the early morning hours to record, what keeps my fire lit is knowing that this work is in service to a community I love deeply. At a time when LGBTQ+ people are simply asking for basic human dignity, survival, and the space to thrive, showing up for one another isn't optional, it's essential.
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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 Jack Braun for Public Sound.
Associate producer Myana Zhané
Brought to you by E3 Radio, and distributed on The Qube.