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Utah Transgender Prom Queen Happy with Life, Credits Family and Friends

Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts prom royalty William Floor, Jasper Clayton, Maka Brown, and Liliana Huettlinger

The Salt Lake School for the Performing Arts this year elected a transgender prom queen. Senior Maka Brown transitioned from male to female when she was 16 years old. Transgender people in this country are at elevated risk for homelessness, depression, murder, and suicide. Maka Brown has had her struggles, but she says her story has taken a different turn from most. Maka and her mother Toni Brown talk about prom night and the transformation they’ve both experienced.

Andrea Smardon is new at KUER, but she has worked in public broadcasting for more than a decade. Most recently, she worked as a reporter and news announcer for WGBH radio. While in Boston, she produced stories for Morning Edition, Marketplace Money, and The World. Her print work was published in The Boston Globe and Boston.com. Prior to that, she worked at Seattleââ
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