News of Interest
What the Arlee Warriors Were Playing For
Starting at noon on Feb. 23, the town of Arlee, Mont., evacuated. Most of its 600-odd residents drove 70 miles south through Missoula and then into the Bitterroot Valley, a river corridor full of subdivisions, trailers, exclusive private communities and ammunition stores. The crowd filtered into the gymnasium at Hamilton High School, wearing red shirts and pins bearing the faces of the Arlee Warriors basketball team, who that evening would be playing the Manhattan Christian Eagles. (Continue reading here)
Shared Food Opens Way to Explore Islam
The exotic smells of coriander and turmeric extended far beyond the doors of the First Presbyterian Church community room.
Inside, 150 Missoulians heaped plates of allo gobi, Baghdad kibbeh and good will to start off “Celebrate Islam Week.” The hope was that, like the aromas of shared food, a sense of tolerance and understanding might spread.
“These personal connections are critical,” said Imam Jamal Rahman of Seattle. “We can coexist with differences. People are starting to realize you simply have to honor and celebrate diversity.” (Continue reading here)
No One Wants to Listen to the Sex Workers
Advocates left and right have applauded federal authorities’ seizure of classified ads website Backpage.com as a victory for women in the sex trade. But who’s angriest about the shutdown? Women in the sex trade.
The Backpage debate has crystallized the broader conversation around sex work, and it has also brought out an ugly strain of false feminism. Card-carrying progressives from Capitol Hill to Hollywood have leaped to denounce Backpage just as they’ve leaped before to denounce the prospect of legalizing prostitution. But it seems these avatars of female empowerment have failed to do the one thing that would actually empower the women they claim to defend: pay attention to what those women think. (Continue reading here)
MCPS: Mental health resources crucial for students, but difficulties persist
Gun violence in schools has focused attention here and around the country on students’ access to mental health resources.
In the school shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut in 2012 and in Parkland, Florida, in February, investigators found repeated red flags and missed opportunities for intervention. Both shooters had displayed worrying behaviors noticed by school staff, family members, peers and health workers.
After Sandy Hook, the Missoula County Public Schools assembled a mental health task force that recommended ways it could improve its mental health and intervention services to students. (Continue reading here)
Charlie Macorn, a local queer comedian, honored EmpowerMT’s queer youth programs on March 14 (Pi Day) by hosting a comedy benefit at The Roxy. The benefit was free admission and included a silent auction of a variety of pies that community members baked just for the event. The turn out was amazing and some of our youth were in attendance. Charlie put together a group of queer comedians from all over Montana, who had us rolling in laughter from beginning to end. The comedians featured were Sarah Aswell, Kev Hamm, Nick Dowdy, and Miranda Lai. 
One of EmpowerMT’s favorite partnerships is with the Mansfield Center’s Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative. We have been honored to welcome Fellows to EmpowerMT from Cambodia, Myanmar, and Thailand since 2012! The opportunity to learn from each other, build lasting friendships, and foster cross-cultural collaboration is a gift that keeps on giving. Heidi recently traveled to Myanmar and Thailand to work alongside Naw Pah Eh, Pan Nu Zaw, and Kath Khangpiboon.
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