Queer Communities in Confinement - Panel Discussion

BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+ people are disproportionately represented in the confinement system not only nationwide, but here in Missoula. This panel discussion strives to center the queer youth erased by that system, especially in Montana.  This is in partnership with the Free Verse Project.

Panelists  

Leo Thompson (she/they) is a Two-Spirit Yoeme woman with a BA in English Literature and an MAEd in Indigenous Education. They moved to Missoula to focus on trauma-informed cultural education for Indigenous peoples through traditional ways of knowing. They believe that storytelling, language revitalization, and music are essential to restorative justice work.  Leo spends their spare time writing stories and spending time with their partner.  

Agate Gamble serves Free Verse Project as a Director of Development and teacher. Their commitment is guided by trauma informed care, principles of restorative justice, and the sacred preservation of artistic opportunities for Montana youth. Agate holds a constellation of formal and experiential educations, including plant medicine, outdoor leadership, and a Bachelors of Psychology from the University of Montana.  

Lorna Buckingham (she/her) has been teaching with Free Verse since 2018 and is primarily interested in creating trauma-informed practices for the organization’s programs. She believes access to education can mitigate the harm incarceration can do to communities. Lorna likes writing High Fantasy, gardening, throwing elaborate dinner parties, admiring the moon, and societies without hierarchies. Lorna helms the Free Verse team, and can be contacted directly at lorna@thefreeverseproject.org.  

Moderator 

Becca Carson (she/they) has spent the last decade working with teenagers in schools, group homes, and community organizations. During her time as an educator, she taught English and introductory creative writing and led the Aerie Magazine Program at Big Sky High School. She believes the arts are a powerful tool to foster empathy, build community, and empower change. You can find her poetry in several magazines including High Shelf Press, Camas, Cagibi and Juxtaprose. Becca is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in clinical mental health. She loves taking pictures, exploring used bookstores, and driving with no specific destination in mind. She is governed by insatiable curiosity