Proud Voices: GetLit Poets #2 | This Way Out Radio Episode #1995

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.

All this on the June 22, 2026 Edition of This Way Out!

Join our family of listener-donors today at thiswayout.org/donate/.

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This Way Out

NewsWrap 

Program #1996          Distributed 06/22/26

And in NewsWrap: The Netherlands has banned the debunked practice of conversion therapy. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission continue their attacks upon trans people in a lawsuit against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. Justice remains unserved as Idaho fails to add “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to their Human Rights Act. Niger’s military junta release a penal code criminalizing same-sex relationships. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs eliminates health care programs for LGBTQ+ veterans.— and more international LGBTQ news reported this week by Ava Davis and Nico Raquel (News Writer Jeb Backe, News Producers Lucia Chappelle and Brian DeShazor).

Conversion therapy is now banned in the Netherlands. The landmark victory for queer rights was approved by the Dutch Senate on June 16th by a vote of 57 to 15. The new law prohibits attempts to change a person’s sexual orientation and gender identity through counseling. Five Dutch political parties combined efforts to introduce the legislation.

Practices such as shock therapy and the use of medication to affect someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity were previously prohibited. The new legislation builds broader protections. It bans conversion therapy targeting minors or adults in vulnerable situations. Those in violation of the law may face up to two years in prison or fines up to 27,500 euros– about 31,500 U.S. dollars. Professionals involved in the debunked treatment may also lose their right to practice. The legislation additionally prohibits advertising conversion therapy.

Advocates, survivors, activists, and organizations now finally see the fruits of their 15 year campaign. The world’s oldest operating LGBTI organization, COC Netherlands, delivered more than 8,000 signatures to the Senate in support of the ban earlier this month. Following Senate approval COC’s chairperson Myrtille Danse proclaimed, “Finally clarity: ‘cure’ is a myth, you are good as you are, and attempts at ‘cure’ are prohibited and punishable.” COC counted at least 15 conversion therapy providers in the country at the time of the legislation.

The win for LGBTQ+ rights comes shortly after Rob Jetten became the Netherlands’ first openly gay Prime Minister. There are currently seven other EU countries that ban conversion therapy outright. The EU ruled against banning the harmful practice in May. Anti-conversion campaigners seem poised to try and bring about the ban again later this year.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is suing the World Professional Association for Transgender Health or WPATH. The world’s leading transgender health organization is being accused by the Trump administration of misleading families, doctors and insurers about pediatric gender affirming care.

Since Trump took office, the FTC has gone after gender-affirming care organizations via probes and internal workshops. The Federal Trade Commission or FTC first attacked WPATH in January with an investigation into the organization’s statements in support of gender affirming care. WPATH and other targeted organizations sued to cease the probes. Federal judges ruled to halt the FTC’s investigations of WPATH. 

Now the FTC has come back with a suit against WPATH, joined by Republican-led Alaska, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas. The case is being heard in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. 

The FTC is supposed to have five Commissioners, nominated by the President and confirmed by the Senate. In the fall of last year, the Supreme Court allowed President Trump to fire two Democratic Commissioners. His authority to do so is still being debated. In the meantime, the FTC is operating with just two Republican commissioners and three vacancies.

In a recent public statement, WPATH wrote that they are “in a strong position to prove that the FTC is acting out of pure retaliation as part of the federal government’s relentless and targeted campaign to undermine gender-affirming care by attacking the First Amendment rights and the independence of professional medical organizations.”

The perpetrator of a recent Idaho hate crime is only being charged with a misdemeanor. After Pedro Villarreal III was arrested for allegedly spouting homophobic slurs and beating a gay couple, authorities determined that Idaho’s hate crime law does not apply.

Juan Olvera and Eric Reed were dining in downtown Caldwell, Idaho when a group of men began hurling a slurry of anti-gay remarks at them. The couple says they were chased down after leaving the restaurant and assaulted. 

Unfortunately, under Idaho law, hate crime statutes only apply when the motive is tied to a victim's race, ethnicity, or religion— not sexual orientation or gender identity.

[AUDIO- CHANTING AT THE IDAHO STATE HOUSE] 

Protestors gathered at the Idaho State House in January. “Add the Words” has been the cry of activists for 15 years– that’s how long it’s been since the first bill was printed to add the four words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the Idaho Human Rights Act. Since its inception the measure has only had one public hearing. 

Olvera and Reed hope that sharing the story of their assault will bring awareness to the "Add the Words" campaign, and propel protections for queer Idahoans.

Niger’s military-run government has criminalized same-sex relationships. The new penal code by the junta on June 12th punishes what it describes as “an immodest or unnatural act or practices lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-gender, Queer, intersex, Asexual acts.” The feared debauchery of asexual acts or anything else that falls within that language can be met with five to 10 years in prison and fines. The penalty is also applicable to marriage officiants, witnesses of the spouses, individuals who consent to the celebration of the marriage, and to the organizers. 

The military junta seized power in 2023, and it’s been fueling a moral panic surrounding sexuality and gender identity ever since. In 2025 consensual same-sex sexual acts between adults were outlawed. Transgender individuals remain unable to change their legal gender markers. 

With the new penal code, social media and media outlets announced a "large-scale crackdown" within the past week. Téa Braun is the Chief Executive of the Human Dignity Trust, a legal group that works to challenge and overturn laws that criminalise LGBT people globally.

In her online rebuttal to the penal code, she stated, “In criminalising private, consensual same-sex intimacy and using the coercive power of the state to repress other basic freedoms, Niger’s military regime has shown a blatant disregard for fundamental human rights law.” Braun says, “Niger now joins 65 other countries that use these laws to expose a vulnerable group of their own citizens to fear, violence, and state-sanctioned hatred.”

The Trump Administration’s Department of Veterans Affairs has eliminated health care programs for LGBTQ+ veterans. In an internal memorandum obtained by The Advocate, the department ordered VA health facilities nationwide to eliminate gender identity-based initiatives and to strip the LGBTQ+ designation from a network of medical coordinators created specifically to help queer veterans.

Medical professionals at VA hospitals told The Advocate, “People are worried this will mean loss of programming and services that are uniquely designed for LGBTQ+ veterans.” The future of programs such as “PRIDE in All Who Served” could be at risk. Its support for LGBTQ+ veterans has been shown to reduce depression, anxiety, suicide risk, and identity-related stigma. It also increases social connectedness and engagement for queer veterans.

The June 12 memorandum additionally directs facilities to comply with Trump’s executive orders to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and recognition of transgender identity. The LGBTQ+ Veteran Care Coordinators must now be redesignated as simply, “Care Coordinators.”

The Veterans Integrated Service Networks, medical center directors and program offices have 14 days to certify compliance.

Finally, Brooke Mayo has become the first openly gay match official for the men’s FIFA World Cup. She took the field in Atlanta as assistant referee for the Czech Republic’s Group A draw with South Africa. 

Mayo has been officiating for 24 years. She was on the field for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand as well as at the 2024 Olympics. She earned the title of 2025 U.S. Soccer Referee of the Year. Mayo lives in Colorado with her wife Falon, whom she calls one of her biggest supporters.

Joined by Tori Penso and Kathryn Nesbitt, the U.S. trio made history as the first all-woman officiating crew to oversee a World Cup match in the United States. Mayo told the LA Times, “For us, it’s just business as usual.” She does recognize the significance, though, saying , “I think there’s still a lot of places in the world that need to see this and that’s why it’s still important. But our colleagues are used to seeing women around.”