Forward Montana

🎉National Voter Registration Day (September 17th) is happening! This is a national civic holiday and one of our biggest days of the year! To cover this great big-sky state, Forward Montana is hosting statewide events all week long, starting this Thursday!

🦸Registering to vote is about young people feeling heard and seen in Montana politics, it is a fight for reproductive access, protected and expanded LGBTQ+ rights, having options for affordable housing, and a just and healthful environment and society! The stakes are high, with only 26 days left to register to vote, it is time to get organized and make a plan to vote.
National Voter Registration Day (NVRD) events in:

🛶BILLINGS
⛷️BOZEMAN
🍀BUTTE
🐻COLUMBIA FALLS
🎣DILLON
🏛️HELENA
🏔️KALISPELL
🚲MISSOULA
🍒WHITEFISH

Check out what we have planned for NVRD in your town at the link below! Succulent plant parties, drag bingo, live music, free bagels, flash tattoos, there is truly something fun for everyone so bring yourself and your friends to celebrate with us!

https://secure.everyaction.com/p/ZxyBVjZFTkKFhtExs9FAqQ2?results=True&date_start=09-12-2024&date_end=09-22-2024

🏕️ Join Forward Montana and the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation for an overnight backpacking and trail work trip into the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness! This trip is specifically for BIPOC and LGBTQ individuals, and is backpacker beginner-friendly so no backpacking experience is required.

🥾 Gear can be borrowed from the Selway Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation, and food will be provided! We will be hiking a few miles and learning to use trail tools to do trail maintenance. Want to learn to backpack in a safe and inclusive environment? This skillshare is for you!

🐻 Spots are limited to 10 people and RSVP is required! Sign up at the link in our bio AND make sure to also fill out the separate Jotform in the sign up. If you have questions, please DM us!

✨ We hope you will join us September 21st-22nd on this incredible trip!

Join us for our first book club gathering in the Flathead! We will be meeting at the Glacier Q***r Alliance at Gateway Mall on September 9th at 6pm. We will have time to read independently, discuss what we are reading and current events related to the differing book topics.
We’ve curated a list of books on topics pertaining to reproductive health, affordable housing, LGBTQ+, and climate action and we want to share that with you! We will also be giving you a chance to win a gift card from the bookstore of your choice. 📖

RSVP Here-> https://bit.ly/46Zu4D9
Book List-> https://bit.ly/474kBdu

On September 7th join Forward Montana and Western Native Voice in hosting Krystal Two Bulls, Executive Director of Honor the Earth for the kickoff of Climate Week in Billings! Two Bulls will discuss why Land Back is a climate change solution and Honor the Earth's fight for a brighter future. 🌎

Light food and drink provided and the event is free.
6pm at the Eagle Seeker Community Center at 1125 Broadwater Ave.

RSVP Here-> https://bit.ly/3XpBXxp

Join us for an evening of board games at Steam Mountain Games, Thursday, August 29th, from 5-8 pm. We'll be playing board games, connecting with our community and strategizing for a better more equitable Montana! We hope to see you there 🤩
RSVP Here-> https://bit.ly/3Zj5aN5

Voter Registration Pint Night at Beaverhead Brewing Company with Forward Montana on Thursday, August 22nd! Come by and chat about local issues, make sure your voter registration is up to date, and enjoy a cold pint on a summer night!

Forward Montana is proud to be a sponsor of the 13th Annual Montana Clean Energy Fair! We will be tabling and registering voters 🗳️
Be sure to stop by for helpful workshops, exhibits, kids activities, and an e-bike raffle. Find out about practical tools to save money on your electric bills, support local, and experience energy freedom and resilience. Electrify your life at the Montana Clean Energy Fair!

Saturday, August 24th
Time: 9:00am - 3:30pm
MSUB, 1500 University Drive, Billings, MT

Billings folks, bring your bike and learn some tips and tricks for taking care of it!
🪛 We’ll have small repair kits for everyone as well as some drinks and snacks! Join us August 15th from 6-730 for repairs and then we'll go on an optional ride together afterwards. 🚲

Sign up here--> https://bit.ly/4fErDcU Location will be given upon sign up!

💌 You are cordially invited to celebrate 104 years of the ratification of the 19th Amendment - granting [white] women the right to vote in county, state, and national elections - at Homestake Pub in Butte on August 20, 7pm with a game of trivia!

🍻Sharpen up your niche women’s suffrage history knowledge with a drink and hang out with us! Sign up at the link in our bio!

Hey Billings, August is here, which means the Montana Fair is upon us!
🎡 We’ll be tabling at the fair the whole 9 days from August 9th-17th registering folks to vote and talking to them about the upcoming election!

🍔 You’ll get free entry into the fair, plus fair food (or drinks) on us! Come join us for a shift at the Billings Fair, we'd love to have you.

Head to this link --> https://bit.ly/3LMpz54 to find a shift that works for you!

🦜 Chirp, chirp! Come birdwatch in Missoula with Forward Montana and wildlife biologists and Bio Babes, Kelsey Miller and Libby Riddle! We are super excited for this inclusive and birder-beginner friendly, q***r skillshare! Bring Your Own Binoculars (BYOB) if you have them, and there will be extras to share!

🌻 Join us on Aug 11th at Maclay Flat Nature Trail 9am-10:30am. Sign up to join at the link in our bio!

🌳Come hang out, scheme, & enjoy the summer with Forward Montana at Our Words Are Powerful community picnic!!

🍇 Join us in Missoula at Bonner Park, Thursday August 1st from 6-8pm. We can’t wait to see the impact you’ll make with YOUR words when it comes to how YOU want this year’s city budget to be allocated!

✨Bring your fabulous self, a friend or two (if you like them) & some yummy picnic food if you’re able!

🧺We'll bring a delicious picnic spread to share & space for you to craft your perspective whether it is written, spoken, or in a community art project!

RSVP here -->https://bit.ly/46jyPHh

Announcing Forward Montana’s Fall 2024 Community Organizing Fellowship! We are accepting applications on a rolling basis for fall 2024 cohorts in Billings, Bozeman and Missoula.

Calling all young (and young at heart!) folks who want to try their hand at community organizing! If you are excited about getting involved with social and political movements in Montana and want to help empower young people to make change in their communities, please apply for our fellowship. If you know someone who you think would be a good fit, please pass this on!

Our fall 13 week community organizing fellowship offers skill building and experience in building power with and for your community through voter registration, community building, event planning, voter registration, classroom discussion and immersive workshops. This is a part-time, paid position where fellows will work 10 hours/week at $17hr from August 12th-November 10th . Priority deadline of July 29th! Head to this link: https://bit.ly/3XZ7uYM for more information on the fall cohort, check out our FAQs and for link to apply!

🏛️Whose court? The people’s court!

🚨For anyone interested in issues like civil rights, climate action, and democratic governance, paying attention to the Montana Supreme Court elections are not just important - it is essential!

🗳️ Two of the seven seats on the Supreme Court are up for election this year…

💌 We wrote a blog post specifically about the MT SupCo. Read more about the role of the state Supreme Court in shaping our collective future here
➡️ https://bit.ly/3Ya2QHD

Open Craft Night! Bring any unfinished craft projects to Imagine Nation Brewing in Missoula and join other q***r community members to work on any craft you may have.
Join us July 25th at 6-7pm to make some progress on your projects! 🎨
RSVP: https://bit.ly/3S9cfuV
Imagine Nation Brewing

😈 You asked and we listened! Forward Montana in Butte is introducing a monthly Stitch and Bitch 🧶 These community-building and fun events will happen once a month at a different location around town. Bring your most recent knitting, crocheting, needlework, fiber art or any project in between. All are welcome! Come hang with friends and make new friends! Drinks and snacks will be provided.

🍸The first Stitch and Bitch is on July 30th at Headframe Spirits 6-8pm. Go to this link https://bit.ly/3Sa9yt7 to sign up and stay in the loop for future events or check back in with us on social media :) we can’t wait to see you in a few weeks in Butte!!

❤️‍🔥 July 30, Headframe Spirits, 6-8pm
❤️‍🔥August 28th, TBD, 6-8pm
❤️‍🔥September 18th, TBD, 6-8pm
❤️‍🔥October 22nd, TBD, 6-8pm

🙆‍♀️ Coming to you HOT TO GO from the interim session with a Villain of the Week!

🤡 We’re highlighting our very own Montana Secretary of State, Christi Jacobsen. Christi and her office have been tossing out signatures from not one, not two, but three (!) statewide ballot initiatives proposed for Montana ballots this November. The Secretary of State’s office said local officials should not accept signatures from “inactive” voters — Montanans who are still legally registered but have not voted in a recent federal general election or have not responded to mailings from their county to update their registration information. One simple reason they may not have responded to county mailings, is that they moved and missed those notices to update their voter registration. These are still registered voters and the action of removing these folks from participating in the civic process of ballot initiatives stinks of voter suppression…

🗳️When challenged about the ethics or legality of disqualifying signatures from these petitions, Christi Jacobsen continues to stand firm on her decision to throw away signatures from registered Montana voters. The three ballot initiatives in question (CI-126, CI-127 ) would deal with statewide election reform, and CI-128 would enshrine abortion rights in the Montana Constitution. To be clear, these ballot initiatives would still need to be voted on in November in order to pass. Voters should have the opportunity to voice their opinions on these initiatives with their vote, and it should not be up to the Secretary of State!

👿 The actions from the Secretary of State’s office raise significant questions regarding their legality, political motivations, and whether Christi Jacobsen’s efforts might complicate voting for registered but inactive voters in the general election. What reasons would Christi Jacobsen have for doing this other than her own political motivations?? Anyone attempting to discredit and invalidate Montana voters, no matter the last election they voted in, is a villain in our book!

🔗To read more about this ongoing hot mess of a story, head to the link in our bio to read Montana Free Press’s latest reporting.

💪 It's time to flex your democracy muscle and vote in this year's Forward Montana board election. We have 10 awesome candidates who are running to fill 6 seats.

🗳 If you are a member of Forward Montana (aka you have donated $10 or more or volunteered for two hours or more in the past year) you are able to cast six votes!!

🌏 What in the world does a board do, and why is it so important? Essentially, our board members are 🌟 Forward Montana’s ambassadors! They play a massive role in shaping and supporting our organization’s culture, strategic plan, effectiveness, and finances.

🔗 https://forwardmontana.org/2024-board-elections/ Read more about the candidates and cast your votes before July 17th.

🌼 June 19th is Juneteenth!

🌾 On June 19th, 1865, a Union general, arrived in Galveston, Texas, to inform enslaved Black people of their freedom and that the Civil War had ended. Juneteenth commemorates the day that the last enslaved Black people in the US found out — more than two years after Emancipation Day — that they were free.

🎊 A century and a half later, people across the United States continue to celebrate the day, which is now a federal holiday. It's also a day known for celebratory meals, music, coming together, community service, and celebrating Black history and culture.

🧡 Forward Montana celebrated Juneteenth in Billings and Bozeman this year and it would not have been possible without the support of our organizers, community members, and partner organizations! Thank you!

🌟 Special thanks to:
Art House Billings
Black Heritage Foundation of Billings
BSU at MSU
cultured.rootsmt
Kick Back Barbecue
Sacred Grounds Healing & Art Studio


🔗 To learn more about Juneteenth celebrations and stories from this holiday — also known as "Emancipation Day" and "Freedom Day" — listen to NPR's "Code Switch - A Taste of Freedom" head to this link https://n.pr/4b9jCte

❇️ Come learn to skateboard with Girls On Shred for Missoula Pride's Roller Disco! In addition to the skateboarding skillshare, come join to celebrate the launch of the fourth and newest edition of Forward Montana's zine, Transcendent Joy - Q***r Altars!!!

🛼 Glide into Pride and learn from the the raddest folks in the skate scene! Skating skillshare from 2-3pm, and open skating from 2-5pm at the Missoula County Fairgrounds Pavilion (1101 S Ave W, Missoula). Bring your roller skates and boards (or borrow some of Girls on Shred's skateboards)!

🪩 Don't want to skate? No worries, come get a copy of the zine, pick up some Q***r and Trans Joy stickers, enter our raffle to win merch, listen to the music, and soak up the feeling of being in community. We can't wait to see you there!

🌀 No experience necessary! Sign up at this link so that we can have a headcount for the skate lesson.
https://bit.ly/4aS8YqG

🌼 Happy pride month, Butte!

💌 You are cordially invited to join Forward Montana and Butte Pride Foundation at Headframe Spirits for a Q***r Fiber Skillshare from 6-8pm on Wednesday, June 12th!

🧶 Bring your most recent knitting, crocheting, needlework, fiber art, or any project in between for an evening of fun, drinks, and hanging out with friends! A few knitting needles, crochet hooks, yarn, and some craftsy odds and ends will be provided. Worried that you don’t know how to knit, crochet, etc? We will be more than happy to teach you! We’ll also have stickers, swag, and merry company!

Sign up at this link to secure your spot! Happy pride! 💫🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

https://bit.ly/4aT5bZS

🩵 June just might be the best month in Montana 🩵 There are so many fun events coming up and Forward Montana is particularly excited to celebrate Juneteenth and Billings Pride!

🌼 There is something fun for everyone this month and we're stoked to partner with and be a part of these events. Get more details at this link and scroll down to find these & sign up! https://bit.ly/4bMKX5q

🕊️ -- Juneteenth Festival @ South Park with Black Heritage Foundation of Billings, June 15th, 11am-4pm
🎥 -- Movie Night @ Art House Art House Billings , June 17th, 6:30pm
🪩 -- Body temple dance @ Sacred Grounds led by Arkaya Shakti Wellness & Ayurveda, June 17th, 6pm
🚀 -- Transcendent Joy vol. 4 Zine Launch Kirks' Grocery, June 20th, 6-8pm
🌈 -- Billings Pride Festival under Sky Point 406 Pride, June 22nd, 1-7pm

✨ We are looking for volunteers to join the fun! We can't do these fun events without the support of our community, and we are truly grateful! If you’re not up for volunteering, we’d still love to see you downtown and around at these events!!

💫 We are doing some giveaways for some amazing BOZEMAN LOCAL BUSINESSES! All you have to do is take the Pledge to Vote!

🤳 Sign up to get text reminders about upcoming elections and you will be entered to win! Fill out this form https://bit.ly/3KxSWqZ to enter!

💸 We will have TWO $150 gift cards from Cultured Roots (.rootsmt)to raffle off and TWO $100 gift cards to VIP Barber () to raffle off. The giveaway closes on June 20th, and we will notify winners that day!

🌞 Pssst! You can only enter this giveaway once, this means you take the pledge to vote with Forward Montana in person OR online, but not both! The prizes are from Bozeman businesses but anyone from anywhere in the state can STILL SIGN UP TO WIN!

HOUSING IS A HUMAN RIGHT! Say it louder, and then say it again 💥

🗣️ Hey Missoula folks! We are hosting a public comment training session with the goal to educate and inform people to communicate with friends, neighbors, coworkers, strangers and city officials around the housing crisis in Missoula.

PUBLIC COMMENT TRAINING- June 11th, 2024 (Tuesday) 6-8pm at Free Cycles
Doors open at 5:30!

🔗 Sign up here--> https://bit.ly/3KtWbzX

🏠 At this training, participants will learn effective ways to provide comment at city council, with a specific focus on these topics:
— Missoula’s restrictions on unhoused neighbors’ rights
— Zoning and code reform process
— and how the city’s budget is used!!

🤝Join , , , and at Free Cycles () on Tuesday, June 11th. Ensure your voice is heard by policy makers about this important issue!

🌟 Everyone is invited to celebrate Juneteenth with Forward Montana!! We are so stoked to host this event in collaboration with cultured.rootsmt and the BSU at MSU (Black Student Union at MSU)!!!

🏈 There will be music, games, family activities, community connections, and delicious bbq (+veggie options) provided by Kick Back Barbecue. Join us in honoring and celebrating the resilience, joy, and determination of Black individuals throughout history and today!

JUNETEENTH Celebration
🗓️ Sunday, June 16th
🕰️ 3-7pm
📍Beall Park Recreation Center, Bozeman!

🖤 PLEASE RSVP at this link https://bit.ly/45mpQVr

#1865

🗳️ Primaries are an important part of the democratic process. The primary election allows you to select the candidates that will represent the party as the nominee during the general election!
✅ Forward Montana’s Primary Voter guide is here to make filling out your ballot as easy as possible! This year in Montana, we will be voting on a number of offices including state executive offices like Governor and Auditor as well as US Senator, US Representatives, Montana Supreme Court Justices, State Legislators, and local government review (LGR). Take a look at the voter guide at the link in our bio or by visiting, https://forwardmontana.org/2024-primary-voter-guide/
⚠️ The primary election is June 4th! If you are a registered absentee voter, you should have received you ballot in the mail and must 1. stamp it, and 2. mail it back by Tuesday, May 28th to ensure it arrives on time! If you are not registered to vote absentee, then you will vote at your polling location by 8pm on June 4th. You can still register to vote on election day June 4th at your county elections office.
🌟Make sure you have a plan to VOTE!

📣 We are looking for dedicated young Montanans to serve on our board!

🫶 Having a board that's deeply connected to Forward Montana's work at every level is one of the reasons we're able to do so much good work across the state — board members have a massive role in shaping and supporting our org's culture, strategic plan, effectiveness, and finances.

🗳️ Know someone else who's also fired up about democracy and building young Montanans' political power? Send this their way!

Applications are due by June 12th! ✨ https://bit.ly/3Vc4SVK

👋 Hey Bozeman peeps! Join us for a May clothing swap and mending class!

🧵 Have you wanted to learn how to mend your clothes? Do you care about sustainable fashion? Do you want to get rid of your clothes and get "new" stuff from other cool people in our community? Come join the Forward Montana Bozeman team and members from the local Sewing Club to learn how to mend your clothes in a welcoming and beginner-friendly environment!

🐸 This event will be at the Bozeman Pond Pavilion on May 27th from 3:30-6:30 PM. This event will be capped at 20 people! Sign up soon to secure your spot. https://bit.ly/3Kbf0aN

👖 Please bring clothes to mend as well as well-loved and taken care of clothes to trade with others! Everyone will leave with their own mending kit, and mending knowledge and skills to use in the future! If you are an experienced mender and want to be in person with us, please sign up to join too at the link in our bio!

🪡 Original artwork borrowed from . Check out their page The Far Woods for more hand-mending inspiration, wisdom, and techniques.

🌼 Spring is in full swing, and so are Forward Montana events! 🐝 From Billings to Butte to Missoula, our team has curated unique skillshare opportunities and casual, fun-filled community building! Come join the festivities in the coming weeks!

🔗 More details about each event here: https://links.forwardmontana.org/FMTsummer

Some events have limited space, so be sure to sign up sooner than later! 🧡

✌️Hey, Butte, America! We're stoked to introduce Eryn Corinth (she/her), your new Butte Voter Engagement Organizer.

🗳️ Inside the office, you can find Eryn staying hydrated with her emotional support Nalgene while devising new ways to engage with the Butte community for voter registration efforts.
🚵‍♀️ Outside the office, you’ll most likely find Eryn dreaming about finishing her cross-country bike tour, running, hiking, sewing a quilt, or swimming in Montana’s coldest rivers and lakes.

🧡 https://bit.ly/4ba24xH See where Eryn and Forward Montana will be in and around Butte -- sign up to volunteer and attend a community event (like a watercolor painting night on May 22 between Taco Del Sol and Pita Pit)! Reach out to Eryn at [email protected] with questions or to get involved!