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 Gender Stories
Trans Man Breaks Free From Evangelical Cult and Finds Supportive Community.
I’m Andy, and I’m from Tallahassee, Florida. So I was raised in an evangelical cult. I didn’t realize that at the time. I thought this was a normal church and n...
A Lesson, Then a Plan: How a Sixth Grade Student Changed a Trans Teacher’s Life
I identified as a girl for most of my life, but in 5th grade I started getting a lot of anxiety around school. And it wasn’t until I realized that clothing and the way people...
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...
“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 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...
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...
How One Trans Couple Found Love During the Pandemic. “Don’t Be Afraid to Love and to Let It In.”
I am Darius McLean and I’m from Newfield, New Jersey. About seven years ago I was working at the Mazzoni Center and the CHOP Gender Clinic. When I was working at Mazzoni Ce...
“You Will Find Your Way.” Transgender Woman’s Multi-Stop–And Ongoing–Journey to Realizing Her Identity.
My name is Samantha. I’m from Houston, Texas. When I was in college, just kind of finishing my degree at University of Texas in Austin, I started dating this guy whom I had...
Trans Nonbinary Person Thrives After Being Welcomed Back to Work with New Identity, Name, & Pronouns.
I did a lot of self-reflecting and I was able to self-identify as well as to allow myself, my inner Shellby, to come alive.I am Shellby Forbes. I am from Brooklyn, New York. So in early 2000s, I started in the finance industry working in retail banking. And during that timeframe, I started off as a tel...
How a Crush Saved a Queer Person’s Life. “Falling in Love was the Catalyst for Accepting Who I Am.”
Hey, so my name is Grey. I grew up in Florida. I grew up in a church and in a family that was very conservative Christianity wise. They’re also Caribbean. There’s als...
“You’re My Child. I Want To Be There.” Iowa Mom Accompanies Daughter to Thailand for Gender-Confirming Surgery.
My name is Daye and I’m from Clear Lake, Iowa. Growing up in the country, back home, I always knew that I was different. And I remember at one point when I was 10, actually...
TikTok Helps Genderqueer Teen Realize Their True Self. “This is Who I Am. This is How I Feel.”
My name is Li. I’m from Somers, New York. My parents never forced gender norms on me. I never had super masculine or feminine toys as a kid or clothing. They let me lean to...
