Stories from Encircle

Listen to the giggles, the gratitude and the experiences of returning guests and new faces in our very first Stories from Encircle Roundtable! We're joined by a panel of young adults and friends from the Provo Encircle home, as they talk about how to take care of yourself at Thanksgiving dinner and the holidays, advice on being with family who is less than supportive, and encouragement on how to be authentic to your identity and your self.

The Roundtable guests include Willow (she/they), Wren (they/them), Taylor (he/him), Lee (they/them), Chris (they/them), with Roundtable host Cal (he/they).

This Trans Remembrance Day, we invite you to listen to bj Nelson (she/her) and Taylor Melamed (he/him) discuss their experiences coming out, transitioning, and living their authentic lives as trans people.

Camlyn Giddins (she/they), our very own Community Outreach Coordinator at Encircle, sits down with Co-Owner and Co-Founder of Grey Hawk Enterprises, Isaiah Mataele (he/him) to talk about the moments of queer joy that have lifted them up, the support they've received from family and friends, and the solidarity we need to build a better community for all.

Encircle staff members Adam White (he/him) and Sean Allsop-Pukahi (he/him) chat about how they've grown, found themselves, and found their community in the years since they first met as queer college students.

How have you learned to embrace your full identity? Assistant Home Director Nicole Ostermiller sits down with Encircle Youth Jeramy (they/them) and they chat about their stories, their passions, and their hopes for the future.

Original cast member of Studio C and co-founder of JK Studios Stacey Harkey (he/him) sits down with Encircle Founder & CEO Stephenie Larsen (she/her) to talk about his time as a gay BYU student, his experience both in and out of the closet, and their hopes for queer youth in the community around BYU.

To commemorate Bisexual Awareness Week (9/16-9/23) and Celebrate Bisexuality Day (9/23), Willow Webb (she/they) and Cal Haynes (he/they) share lessons learned, issues facing the Bisexual community, and their experiences as interns at Encircle this summer.

Lakshan Lingam (he/they) speaks with muralist, athlete, and van-lifer Rian Kasner (they/them) about their experiences as a queer person and their development as an artist. Rian has painted a mural in the Encircle home in St. George, has just finished one in the Salt Lake City Home, and will be doing more at other Encircle homes in the future.

A conversation with 2019 Brigham Young University valedictorian Matt Easton (he/him) and Encircle Founder and CEO Stephenie Larsen (she/her) about Matt's experience as a gay man and his reaction to recent comments made about him from the pulpit at BYU.