I'm From Driftwood
The stories on I’m From Driftwood send a simple but powerful message to LGBTQIA+ people everywhere: You are not alone. I’m From Driftwood combats isolation and creates empathy to build a more understanding and accepting world. These are our stories, told in our own voices.
Latest Coming Out Stories
Gay Man Pushes Back Against Mother’s Anti-Gay Vitriol and Their Relationship Thrives as a Result.
Hi, I’m Kai Ambakad from Fullerton, California. I was 19 and I was going to do errands and just have a good day with my mom. So we went out on a Sunday and we were shopping f...
Three Weddings and a Reconciliation: How One Trans Man’s Patience Helped Heal Family Wounds
Hi, my name is Connor Maddocks. I’m from San Diego, California. When I was say about 45 years old, this amazing thing called the Internet came out and I met some folks onli...
Gay College Grad’s Bravery Inspires Incoming Freshman to Come Out. “Advocacy Comes in All Shapes and Sizes.”
My name is Mike Matta. I’m from Chino, California. It was February, 2012. It was Valentine’s Day during my junior year of college at UC Santa Barbara. At that point, ...
Gay Christian Learns to Reconcile his Faith and Sexuality. “God Made Me the Way that I Am.”
Hi, I’m Cameron Reck. I’m from Sebring, Florida. One time, when I was about 12, 13 years old, I ran out to go check the mail and in the mailbox was a random men’s...
“Now It’s Time to Tell My Granddaughter.” Trans Woman Finds Love & Support After Coming Out to Family.
I’m Christynne Lili Wrene Wood, 66 years old. I’m originally from Springfield, Ohio. I’m one of those who knew from a very early age, four years of age actually...
From “Utter Agony” to Love and Trust: A Father’s Journey of Acceptance Towards His Gay Son
Hi, I’m James Palmer. I’m from Atlanta, Georgia. In my mid 20s, I reached out to a therapist because I was having some challenges with the relationship that I was in, a...
Kicked Out of the Military for Being Gay: One Man’s Experience During “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”
Hi, my name is James Garcia and I am from New York City. In 1996, I enlisted in the Air Force. During that time, don’t ask, don’t tell was in place. That means the mi...
Gay Man Grateful After Coming Out to Parents: “You Never Know How Long We’re Going To Be Around.”
My name is Edison and I’m from New York City. I grew up in a loving but extremely conservative household. My family, my parents were immigrants, are immigrants from Ecuador, ...
From NSYNC Cover Band Drag King to Coming Out at Work, Trans Man Shares Journey to Self-Acceptance
My name is Jay Beaulieu, I’m from South Pasadena, California. When I was six years old, I remember learning how to play basketball. I was on the court learning to shoot fre...
First Love Compels Gay Man to Mend Fences with his Mom. “There is a Light at the End of the Tunnel.”
I’m Junior Suazo and I’m from Miami, Florida. My family is from Nicaragua. I’m a first generation college graduate and I come from a Catholic background. Growin...
Queer Person Thrives After Choosing Theater Over Evangelism. “How Could It Possibly Be a Sin?”
My name is Dina Paolo Rodriguez. I’m from El Caja, Peru. We immigrated to the US, to Miami, in the late nineties and my mom became a born again Christian, evangelical Chris...
Top, Bottom or Vers? Gay Man Defies Social Pressure and Comes Out as a Side.
I’m Tim, and I’m from Montclair, New Jersey. I came out in three separate occasions over a summer. The first one was, “I think I might be gay.” And the se...
