Robert Garcia on why his 2026 Pride playlist is an act of joy in the face of hate

U.S. Rep. Robert Garcia’s 2026 Pride playlist arrived Tuesday as a bright, danceable thing. Beyoncé and Selena, Britney Spears and Bad Bunny, RuPaul and Rosalía, the sound of a summer party curated by one of Congress’s most visible gay lawmakers.But minutes before Garcia spoke with The Advocate exclusively about the playlist, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down a decision that reshaped the conversation. The justices ruled that states may bar transgender girls and women from competing in girls’ and women’s school sports. It’s a major victory for Republican-led states and the latest sign that transgender Americans remain at the center of the country’s legal and political backlash.Garcia, a California Democrat and the first out LGBTQ+ immigrant elected to Congress, did not treat the ruling and the playlist as separate subjects. Pride, he said, is not a detour from the fight over civil rights. It is one of the places where that fight is sustained.“I've always believed that young people should have a chance to participate and learn teamwork and play in sports and that includes all young people,” Garcia told The Advocate. “And so I know, unfortunately, it's not a surprise with the Supreme Court that they continue to roll back rights not just for LGBTQ+ people but for all people.”He added, “I think it continues to reaffirm why we have to move forward and protest and be proud of who we are and use not just Pride, but every day of the year to advance the civil rights for all LGBTQ+ people. And that includes trans people.”As of Tuesday afternoon, the playlist available on Apple Music and Spotify included 19 songs and ran for just under an hour. It moves across pop, Latin music, queer club sounds and nostalgia: Bruno Mars’ “I Just Might,” Justin Bieber’s “DAISIES,” Olivia Rodrigo’s “bad idea right?,” PinkPantheress’ “Stateside,” Inji’s “MADELINE,” Britney Spears’ “Toy Soldier,” Paris Hilton and Megan Thee Stallion’