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
Oscar-Winning Movie About Drag Queens Gives Teen Courage To “Live as Out Loud as I Possibly Could.”
My name’s Wallace West and I’m from Houston, Texas. Coming of age in very conservative Texas, that’s still very conservative, I didn’t see much of myself in movies. I was e...
After Gay Man Comes Out as HIV+, Parents Evolve From Ambivalence to Activism. “I Couldn’t Be More Proud of Them.”
My name is Bart Loeser and I’m from Houston, Texas. So it was summer, early summer of 1986. And my best friend who was my roommate previously had just moved to San Francisco a co...
Buffy and a Music Video Contributes to Trans Man Embracing His Identity. “You Deserve to Choose Yourself.”
I’m Bristtle. I’m from Liberty, South Carolina. I remember I was 11 years old the first time I realized that I was queer. I was watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Willow and...
Gay Man Confronted By Ex-Wife. “I Hear You Have a Rainbow Sticker on Your Car.”
My name is Frank Zahn and I’m from Washington DC. The time is 1998. I’m living in California and it’s about 18 months after my marriage of five years to a woman came to a clo...
Despite Homophobia and Bullying, Gay Haitian Comes Out and Learns Strength and Patience. “We Have to Have That Patience to Teach Them How to Love Us.”
I’m Dimitry Etienne. I’m from Carrefour Marin in Haiti. Growing up there, being in school, there were words that people would use that I had no concept of because we lived so f...
“He Lives with a Man. He’s Gay. You Get It?” Gay Man Describes Mother’s Journey to Acceptance.
I’m Jack Drescher. I’m from Brooklyn, New York. I originally came out to myself at the age of 21 in 1972. And as part of my coming out process, I gradually started telling peop...
Lesbian Mom Protects Her Kids From Their Homophobic Grandfather. “You Won’t Disrespect Them.”
I am Chevon Cleveland and I am from Yonkers, New York. When I was 17 years old, my mom passed away. But my -, and I never knew my dad up until that point. In 2015, I was turning 35...
After Homophobic Assault, Gay Middle Eastern Man Refuses to Hide His Identity. “Yes, I Identify as a Gay Man.”
My name is Jawad Bandar. I’m from the port city of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. When I was 15 years old, still living in Jeddah, I happen to be the one of my friends who had the bigge...
After Leaving Cult, Nonbinary Person Comes into Own Identity. “They Call It Gender Euphoria.”
Hi, my name is Nox Kobus. I’m from Hammonton, NJ. So I was living in a cult when I was… from when I was two years old until I was 20. The big thing about being in a cult was th...
After Coming Out to Wife and Daughter, Gay Man’s Life Changes for the Better. “We Have a Very Modern Family.”
I’m Andre Khan and I’m from Queens, New York. I was 32, married to a woman and had a five-year-old daughter. I used to travel a lot back then in work and through those travels,...
At His Lowest Point, Gay Man Finds Escape in Creating Music. “I’m Happier Than I’ve Ever Been.”
Hi, my name is Kelvin Bloodsaw. I’m from Martinez, California. I grew up in Philadelphia. I was raised by my mom, single mother. We lived with my grandmother. Ever since I was yo...
“You’re Losing Yourself In This Bullshit.” Mom’s Tough Love Convo Snaps Gay Son Out Of Superficial Life.
Hi, my name is Liam King. I’m from Bar Harbor, Maine. It all kind of started with my mother’s reinforcement of me as a child and before I understood the social constructs of wh...
