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 Collections Stories
Mathew Shurka Forgives His Father After Enduring Years of Conversion Therapy
My name is Matthew Shurka, I’m from Great Neck, New York, I’m 26 years old, and when I was 16, I came out to my father. My father gave me the best answer that any son can ask f...
Gay Student Stands Up To Homophobic Counselor.
I’m Nephi Niven and I’m from Murfreesboro, Tennessee. When I started dating boys it was all secret and I wasn’t telling most of my friends. Actually hiding my actions made me...
IFD Archives: “Heterosexual, Transgender, Lesbian” Provides Hope to Young People.
My name is Amanda and I’m from Cazenovia, New York, small little town outside Syracuse, New York. When I first came to SAGE, which is an organization for elder LGBT, when I was a...
“My Religious Identity Is As Important To Me As My Sexual Identity.”
I’m the Reverend John Russell Stanger and I’m from Brazoria, Texas. I grew up on my family’s cattle ranch outside Brazoria. One of things I remember doing when I was about 10...
” I Want People to Know That There’s Not One Type of Love. There are a Billion Types.”
My name is Tyunique Nelson and I’m from Philadelphia, PA. My story started in 9th grade. I got bullied in school because of some other incidents that had been with another studen...
Lesbian Rapper Shares Tribute to Gay Uncle.
My name is Monique Contreras and I’m from Orange County, was raised in Missouri, and I have currently been living in Los Angeles the past 10 years. I cut hair, and I mostly cut m...
Coming Out In Brazilian Culture.
My name is Kelvin, I’m from Brazil, from a small city called Pocos de Caldas and I lived there until I was about thirteen and a half years old. I wasn’t aware of my sexuality�...
“I Think It’s Really Weird That Some People Don’t Think That Bisexuals Exist Because We Do.”
My name is Rachel and I’m from Keller, Texas. This one time I went to the Texas Renaissance Festival and afterwards they have this huge bonfire. It’s super fun, everybody’s d...
Why I Identify As “Queer.”
My name is Jaime-Jin Lewis and I’m from Charlottesville, Virginia. My whole life I feel like I’ve been an “other”, from being an Asian American, being female, being a trans...
Coming Out as an Undocumented Immigrant and Coming Out as a Queer Man.
My name is Carlos, Padilla, and I’m from Seattle, Washington. I was originally born in Guadalajara, Jadisco, Mexico, and I immigrated into the United States at the age of 2. For ...
Rosa’s Journey From “All Gays Should Go To Hell” to Loving Her Lesbian Daughters.
I’m Rosa Manriquez and I’m from Los Angeles. When people ask me what I am, if I’m LGBTQA, what am I, I tell people I’m neither. I don’t identify by my sexuality, I’m a ...
Bisexual Struggles With Perception of Being Straight.
As a child, Faith Cheltenham thought she was gay. As she grew older, though, she became aware that her attraction was much broader than to just one gender or identity. Faith explai...
