Forward Montana is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization located in Missoula, Montana. [1] It is described as a "non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to training, mobilizing, and electing a new generation of progressive leaders in Montana". [2] It was co-founded by Billings-born blogger Matt Singer, along with several members of the Montana Public Interest Research Group and The Associated Students of The University of Montana, in 2006. [3]
Forward Montana played a critical role in the 2007 municipal election in Missoula, unseating conservative incumbent Missoula City Council member Don Nicolson in a close race with progressive candidate Pam Walzer. [4] The organization used their Pink Bunnies campaign to register young voters, [5] and turn them out for the election. The campaign proved interesting enough to warrant Missoula Mayor John Engen to issue a proclamation, making the day before voter registration closed "Official Pink Bunny Day" citywide. [6] The campaign registered more than 1,000 voters—more than one-third of all the city’s new registrants.
Forward Montana also helped turn out hundreds of voters using candidate forums like Candidates Gone Wild, in which candidate's ideas were presented as a talent show rather than in standard Q&A style forums. [7]
After the beatings of two members of Missoula's LGBT community, Forward Montana co-organized the rally "We Are Missoula... Stand Up, Speak OUT!" The rally drew over 300 people, with help from groups like Western Montana Gay & Lesbian Community Center and the YWCA of Missoula. [8]
In 2012, Forward Montana registered more than 10,000 people to vote across the state, making it the largest third-party voter registration effort in Montana's history. [9]
Missoula is a city in the U.S. state of Montana; it is the county seat of Missoula County. It is located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five mountain ranges, thus it is often described as the "hub of five valleys". The 2020 United States Census shows the city's population at 73,489 and the population of the Missoula Metropolitan Area at 117,922. After Billings, Missoula is the second-largest city and metropolitan area in Montana. Missoula is home to the University of Montana, a public research university.
A swing vote is a vote that is seen as potentially going to any of a number of candidates in an election, or, in a two-party system, may go to either of the two dominant political parties. Such votes are usually sought after in election campaigns, since they can play a big role in determining the outcome.
LGBT+ Labour, the Labour Campaign for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights, is a socialist society related to the Labour Party in the United Kingdom. Originally called the Gay Labour Group, the purpose of this organisation is to campaign within the Labour Party and wider Labour movement to promote the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) peoples, and to encourage members of the LGBT community to support the Labour Party.
Haysel Diane Sands is an American politician from Montana. As a Democrat, she serves in the Montana State Senate, representing the 49th senate district in Missoula, Montana.
John Scott Engen was an American politician and journalist who served as mayor of Missoula, Montana, from 2006 until his death in 2022.
On the Issues or OnTheIssues is an American non-partisan, non-profit organization providing information to American voters on American candidates, primarily via their website. The organization was started in 1996, went non-profit in 2000, and is currently run primarily by volunteers.
The Houston LGBTQ+ Political Caucus is the South's oldest civil rights organization dedicated solely to the advancement of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender rights. It was founded in 1975, and is the largest LGBTQ political organization in the city of Houston and Harris County. It is known locally simply as "The Caucus." The Caucus is nonpartisan and endorses candidates on the basis of their support for LGBTQ rights, regardless of political party or candidate's sexual orientation.
The Glacier Ice Rink is a two-sheet ice arena located in Missoula, Montana, on the Missoula County Fairgrounds. The rink and its programs are operated by the Missoula Area Youth Hockey Association (MAYHA), a non-profit organization for promoting ice sports. The rink is open 10 months a year and offers youth and adult hockey leagues, hockey tournaments, and public skating sessions. Glacier Ice Rink is also home to the Missoula Figure Skating Club, the Missoula Curling Club, the Missoula Referees Association, the Women's Hockey Association of Missoula (WHAM) and the University of Montana men's hockey team. The ice is removed each summer for the Western Montana Fair.
Next Up, formerly known as The Bus Project, is a non-profit organization that amplifies the voice and leadership of diverse young people to achieve a more just and equitable Oregon. For over sixteen years, Next Up has amplified the voice and leadership of diverse youth activists to achieve a more just and equitable state. They do this by achieving systems change, developing bold leaders, and mobilizing young voters.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Montana may face some legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal in Montana since 1997. Same-sex couples and families headed by same-sex couples are eligible for all of the protections available to opposite-sex married couples, as same-sex marriage has been recognized since November 2014. State statutes do not address discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity; however, the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Bostock v. Clayton County established that employment discrimination against LGBT people is illegal under federal law. A number of cities also provide protections in housing and public accommodations.
Amanda Gayle Curtis is an American politician who serves as the president of the Montana Federation of Public Employees (MFPE), Montana's largest labor union.
The Cincinnati Pride Parade and Festival is a week-long celebration of the city's Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and other identities ([LGBTQ+]) community. The festivities are typically held annually at the end of June but have happened as early as April and as late as July in various locations of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Montana Green Party is a state-level political party affiliated with the Green Party of the United States. It formed in 2001–2002 following Ralph Nader's run for president in 2000 as the Green Party nominee.
The 2018 United States House of Representatives election in Montana was held on November 6, 2018, to elect the U.S. representative from Montana's at-large congressional district. The election coincided with other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate, and various state and local elections.
Marilyn J. Ryan is a Democratic member of the Montana House of Representatives. She has served the 99th district, which encompasses southwest portions of Missoula, since January 2017.
Kimberly Dudik is an American politician and attorney who served as a member of the Montana House of Representatives from 2013 to 2021. Dudik was a candidate for attorney general of Montana in the 2020 Democratic primary.
The 2020 United States House of Representatives election in Montana was held on November 3, 2020, to elect the U.S. representative from Montana's at-large congressional district. The election coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections.
The Missoula Art Museum (MAM) is a contemporary art museum in Missoula, Montana. MAM was founded in 1975 as the Missoula Museum for the Arts and has been accredited by the American Alliance of Museums since 1987.
