Emily Turner was born in Starkville, Mississippi. She attended Starkville High School, and then Mississippi State University, where she majored in architecture and minored in English. During college, she co-founded Starkville Pride, an LGBTQ+ community organization. She, along with her wife, spearheaded the effort to have the first Pride in Starkville, which occurred in 2018. After graduation, she commissioned as a second lieutenant into the United States Marine Corps. She is currently stationed in Twentynine Palms, California for Communications officers course. She and her wife have a dog, Delilah, and enjoy visiting National Parks in their free time.