A new report highlighted girls in Indiana face higher rates of bullying and sexual dating violence compared to boys.

The 2024 Indiana Girl Report, produced by the Indiana Youth Institute, Girl Coalition of Indiana and Girl Scouts, emphasized the need for better mental health support and violence prevention in communities.

Tami Silverman, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute, said the report helps Hoosiers better understand all girls' experiences.

"It's good to say, 'this is what I know about those girls closest to me and how is that similar to or different from the experiences girls in other parts of our state are having,'" Silverman explained. "That's why the data is great because it really checks our own biases."

While girls in the state excel academically, particularly in reading, they also experience significant challenges. Nearly 17% of high school girls reported experiencing sexual dating violence and many struggle with mental health issues at twice the rate of boys.

In fact, Silverman pointed out the number of reports of bullying and sexual dating violence are increasing for girls in Indiana.

"Girls who report being bullied at school has gone up significantly," Silverman reported. "The number of female high school students who reported sexual dating violence in the past year is seven times higher than that for male students."

Schools are encouraged to implement trauma-informed practices and address issues like bullying and sexual harassment.

Silverman noted the report concludes with a call for policymakers to invest in mental health programs and address economic and racial disparities to improve the overall well-being of Hoosier girls.

"This is only the second time we've done this," Silverman added. "Last year's Girl Report was wonderfully well-received and many local areas did take this information to look at how might we better expand our services or change our services to make sure that girls are reaching their full potential."


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A new study from Ball State University's Center for Business and Economic Research revealed how child care availability and costs affect women's workforce participation in Indiana.

Michael Hicks, director of the center, said the study examined economic factors influencing child care demand and the supply of child care workers. In 2022, the median wage for women in Indiana was slighter over $21 per hour. Hicks argued it is not enough and highlighted the financial strain on families.

"If you're a woman entering the labor force and you have two kids and your husband or your spouse is working at $57,000 a year, you have to earn almost $24 an hour before you're taking home the equivalent of minimum wage," Hicks pointed out.

Hicks added the same parent would need to earn more than $32 per hour to bring home $400 per week after taxes and child care costs. He explained the study identified for many Hoosier families with children, the decision for both parents to work is often financially impractical.

The study also found a 10% increase in child care workers correlates with a 0.4% rise in employment for women aged 25-34 and 1% for those aged 35-44, which Hicks acknowledged could be an uphill battle.

"I think it's going to be very difficult to make large scale expansions of child care," Hicks noted. "Simply because it's such an expensive shock to the overall economy for what are really transient benefits."

Hicks stressed an 8% wage increase is needed to boost the child care workforce, underscoring the necessity for better pay to attract and retain workers.


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By Meghan Holt for the Ball State Daily News .
Broadcast version by Joe Ulery for Indiana News Service reporting for the Ball State Daily News-Free Press Indiana-Public News Service Collaboration.

“Come in as a stranger, leave as a friend” brands the doors of the Mark III Tap Room, known colloquially as “the Mark” in downtown Muncie, Indiana. 

Established in 1968, the Mark is the state’s oldest gay bar. 

Since its initial opening, the bar has moved buildings, closed and reopened its doors multiple times while going through ownership changes. Regardless, it remained a staple of Indiana and the Muncie LGBTQ+ community.

However, after a pipe burst in its 306 South Walnut Street location in January 2024, the Mark III Tap Room faced water damage, leading to its closure for the foreseeable future. Access to the bar's resources, performances and community outreach have been lost.

For performers like Olivia Ward and Jamie Prang, the Mark was not only home to a source of income and creativity — it was home to family, making the closure of the bar difficult to navigate.

“My creative outlet is gone right now,” Prang said. “Now, I don't have anything.”

Prang is a founding member of the eight-year-strong burlesque troupe “The Fabulous Funcie Femmes” and has managed the production house “House of Mayhem” since 2020. Within the troupe, she takes on the persona of Lady J, Mistress of Mayhem.

The burlesque troupe did not take off thanks to Prang’s efforts alone. The foundation of the troupe coincided with the opening of the Mark’s building on 306 Walnut Street. 

Prang remembers the opening day fondly and said the bar was instrumental in ensuring the survival of the troupe.

“The Mark is very, very, very precious to me, especially as a performer and entertainer,” Prang said. “As a burlesque dancer in this town, [burlesque] had its own stigma that people [have] their own opinion about, and [the Mark’s owners] were the brave souls who were willing to give us a chance.”

Ward echoes Prang’s sentiment about the importance of the Mark within their own life.

“I've lived in Muncie my entire life. I went out one night, and it changed my life. The Mark is home,” they said.

A Muncie native and Ball State University graduate, Ward competitively danced for 15 years and was the head of Ball State’s Outlet Hip Hop Troupe. After graduation, they were a hip hop fitness coach. Although dance came easily for Ward, they needed encouragement to get into drag performance.

“I’d always wanted to do [drag], but [Prang] said, ‘Hey! You’ve done this, so here’s the next step,’” Ward said, gripping Prang’s hand.

Prang’s tenure at the Mark, combined with the bar’s welcoming atmosphere, launched Ward’s career as drag king Tevin L. Cruz, a “high-energy” persona who “enjoys being a part of the crowd.”

The Mark is extra special to Ward and Prang. Alongside the fact that they each got their start at the bar, it’s where they met and began their relationship almost three years ago.

“We hold this place very, very dear to our hearts. These are our family members. They're not just people we work with,” Prang said.

Ward misses being on stage — but more than that, they miss supporting other performers. 

“It's the nights we weren't in shows that I miss because every crowd is different. What you're going to see at a burlesque show, you're not going to see probably half of those people at a drag show, or a Sunday brunch, or a Friday karaoke night,” they said.

Indianapolis-based performer Hails Sherwood also lamented the closure of the Mark III Tap Room as a former Ball State student and current drag performer. 

“Coming to Muncie, I hadn't started the process of coming out as anything yet,” Sherwood said. “[The Mark] definitely helped set the groundwork for learning what a queer community is.”

Their performances at the Mark under the name Luna Magick brought them closer to their idols. They described being starstruck by another Indiana drag queen, Venus Entertainment.

“You know, meeting somebody who inspired you to start [performing] is insane. It's a weird thing, being starstruck by an Indy local, but being performers, we do that. It's absolutely opened up new opportunities for me,” Sherwood said.

The Mark doesn’t just serve as a place to build community. Sherwood also praised the ability of the bar to provide free HIV testing to their patrons. In the past, the bar has also hosted fundraising shows for various organizations in Muncie and around the state.

Though Sherwood no longer frequents the Mark as much as they used to, they extend their sympathy to the Muncie community for its loss.

Sherwood said students now lack a space away from work, school or home where they can build community and get away from the bustle of campus life.

“Being able to get away from [campus] was nice. I feel for the people that are there now … and don't have that queer space away from campus that is not affiliated and truly shut off the student part of your brain,” Sherwood said.

But the loss is perhaps felt most acutely by the Mark III Tap Room’s owner, Natasha Martz. She has owned the bar since 2012, but it has been a part of her family for much longer. 

“The Mark has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember,” she said via email. “[My] dad loved going to the first Saturday shows. In the late ’90s, when I turned 21, it became [his] and I’s ‘Dad and Daughter’ monthly night out spot.”

Martz’s uncle was also a frequent patron of the bar and introduced her father to the establishment. Due to this extended family connection, Martz said the closure of the bar has affected her life tremendously.

“[The Mark] is not only my career, but it is my heart and my passion. Navigating as a small business through a crisis that keeps you from being open is very challenging. Knowing that it is a much-needed space for our community is a driving force for me,” Martz said.

The Mark is still closed for repairs, missing its targeted date for reopening in early March. As of now, there is no update about whether or not it will reopen. Regardless, Martz is proud to be a part of its legacy.

“From a tiny dance floor on Main packed with friends and laughter, to a grand stage on Walnut full of performance art and creative minds, I am lucky to have witnessed so much happiness and joy,” she said.


Meghan Holt wrote this article for Ball State Daily News.


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Advocates for end-of-life care options in Montana have asked the state Supreme Court to uphold an injunction of a bill banning gender-affirming care for minors, to keep it from going into effect.

Critics said the measure violates civil liberties and goes further. The group Compassion & Choices has asked the court to uphold the injunction. It claims Senate Bill 99 takes personal freedoms away from Montana citizens, individual rights the state is known for.

Callie Riley, northwest regional advocacy director for Compassion & Choices, warned the bill could have unintended consequences and called it part of an effort to erode patients' ability to make decisions.

"Our concern in particular is that if the law is upheld, then that could also impact the ability of Montanans to make private health care decisions at the end of life, not just the right to pursue transition-related care," Riley explained.

Some Montana legislators have said they support the measure based on personal, moral or religious disapproval of gender transition. The injunction decision awaits action in the state's highest court.

Texas and Tennessee have passed similar measures.

Jess Pezley, senior staff attorney for Compassion & Choices, sees the health care issues addressed in the bill as interconnected.

"Motivated by the same kind of paternalism that, 'Somebody else can make this medical decision for you better than you can make it for yourself.' And that's not appropriate, whether it's for minors making the very personal decision whether to seek gender-affirming care, or for individuals at the end of life," Pezley asserted.

The lower court judge who issued the injunction has said the measure is not likely to withstand any level of constitutional scrutiny.