1. Save the date for our Statewide Candidate Forum Roadshow!
2. Join us as a Community Organizing Fellow!
3. Learn to roller skate with Izzy in Missoula!
What’s happening at Forward Montana?
Candidate Forum Roadshow
Save the date for our Statewide Candidate Forum Roadshow from May 3rd through the 6th! That’s right, Forward Montana is hitting the road with some incredible candidates for Montana’s Western Congressional District. We will be hosting candidate forums in Butte (May 3rd), Missoula (May 4th), Kalispell (May 5th), and Bozeman (May 6th). For the Eastern District, there will be a candidate forum in Billings on May 8th!
Interested in sponsoring the roadshow? Reach out to Margo to learn more and get involved!
Transcendent Joy: Second Edition
Transcendent Joy was such a hit last summer, we are creating a second edition! We are now accepting submissions for the second edition of Transcendent Joy, our zine by and for LGBTQ2S+ Montanans. Submissions will be open until March 24th! We are looking for visual art, writing, and other printable works celebrating trans and queer joy. View the first edition and submit your work here:
LGBTQ+ Missoula Roller Skating Clinic with Hellgate Roller Derby
April 9th, 11AM-5PM
- 11AM-1PM: Roller Skating Basics — Learn how to stay upright, move forward, turn around… the basics!
- 1:30-3PM: Jam Skating — Get your groove on! Practice the basics of jam (dance) skating.
- 3:30-5PM: Roller Derby 101 — Come test our your derby chops under the expert instruction of Missoula’s own Hellgate Roller Derby! No specific skillset required.
A limited number of rental skates will be available at no cost. Keep your eyes on our social media pages for more information and to register!
LGBTQ2S+ Equality in Billings
We’re hoping to spend much of 2022 working on LGBTQ2S+ equality in the Magic City! We’d love to connect with LGBTQ2S+ folks (and allies!) in Billings through round tables, happy hours, interviews and more.Please reach out to our Billings Field Manager, Pari Kemmick, if you’re interested. We’d love to hear from and build community with YOU!
A Note From Kiersten Iwai
As Women’s History Month draws to a close, I reflect on my own path to leadership and how women’s history is always in the making.
Growing up, I was always known as a “team player.” Heck, my high school even granted me a sportsmanship award. My coach and teammates could always depend on me to show up for practice and work hard. Team player, that was me!
So I never thought of myself as a leader.
Now I know that some of this is because of the stories that I hear about what it means to be a leader, and who is a leader. Asian women are underrepresented in leadership positions (as with all women of color).
This has made me aware of the role that I play as a leader today. I’m trying to be the leader I’ve always wanted, but never knew was possible. If I close my eyes I can envision her: compassionate, supportive, someone with integrity.
Through every crisis and through every celebration, I’ve tried to hold on to who I am, so that I can be the best leader that I want to be, and the best leader that my team and community deserves. My teenage-self would be really proud of Kiersten today; she’s held onto her team player spirit while nurturing something more.
Signs with Izzy
This month, Izzy dives into Montana’s birth chart! Head to the link below to watch the full video on TikTok.
Community Organizing Fellowship
From practice to power: learn to build power in YOUR community!
Are you excited about getting involved with social and political movements within Montana? Are you passionate about empowering young people to make change and take risks for their communities? Apply for our 12 week community organizing fellowship! Fellows will learn to build power with and for their communities through fieldwork, classroom discussion, and immersive workshops. Fellows will earn $15/hour for 10 hours of work per week – starting May 23rd and ending on August 12th! Apply by April 24th to be considered for this opportunity!
Head to the link below to learn more!