Toni Graham
THEY/HE
Were you born in Southern Utah?
No. I grew up on Salt Lake area until I was 10 and moved to Saint George with my mom.
What brought you here and what has made you stay?
I was born in Bountiful and lived in Salt Lake until I was 10. My mom needed help raising me, so we moved in with my grandparents. I lived with my mom and my grandparents all throughout high school, until I graduated and moved out with my partner.
When did you realize that you are queer/gender non-conforming? What has that journey been like for you?
I knew I was queer when I started having crushes on the same gender in middle school. From then on most of my friends were a part of the Lgbtq+ community in some beautiful way. My whole life I have been questioning my gender without knowing it. My whole life I imagined being someone who I wasn’t on the outside. In jr year of high school I was up north for a few months and that is where I met some of my best friends, one being non-binary and the other trans. We connected instantly and I was able to ask them any questions I had and they provided me with their knowledge and experience.
How would you describe your experiences as a queer person here?
Questioning who you are on its own is hard enough, so I am very grateful to have been around queer kids growing up. Outside of that tight community, this town hasn’t always been the most accepting and safe. I noticed it especially during the We’re Here show that almost did not happen.
What do you feel is missing here? What do you wish would change?
In this area we need more places to be free and proud about our individuality, I believe having more queer people apart of city council would help start the change to for queer youth to feel more safe. I want to be excited for a pride event to come, and not wait for it to be shut down.