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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

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Headshot of Shellby, a Black trans nonbinary person. They are sitting in for their interview in a black blazer, wearing glasses and their braided hair is in a high bun.

by Shellby Forbes

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...

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Grey, a Black queer person sits for interview on blue and white couch. They are smiling and wearing a red collared shirt with white embroidery in the shape of feathers

by Grey

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...

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Daye Pope Headshot

by Daye Pope

“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...

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TikTok Helps Genderqueer Teen Realize Their True Self. “This is Who I Am. This is How I Feel.”

by Li

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...

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Xbox Game “Tell Me Why” Gives Trans Teen the Confidence to Be Himself. “I Was Finally in My Skin.”

by Evan

Xbox Game “Tell Me Why” Gives Trans Teen the Confidence to Be Himself. “I Was Finally in My Skin.”

I’m Evan, and I’m from Somers, New York.  When I was younger, I never really felt comfortable with the girly things or wearing dresses, playing with all the girl toys,...

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“I Didn’t Have a Good Outcome With My Family.” Nonbinary Person Overcomes Challenges To Live Authentically.

by Ley

“I Didn’t Have a Good Outcome With My Family.” Nonbinary Person Overcomes Challenges To Live Authentically.

My name is Ley and I’m from the Dominican Republic.  I was 15, 14 when I told my mother for the first time that I was bisexual, because that’s the language that I have...

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Trans Non-Binary Person Discovers Himself During the Pandemic. “I Feel Super Great to Have Dared.”

by Rio

Trans Non-Binary Person Discovers Himself During the Pandemic. “I Feel Super Great to Have Dared.”

Mi nombre es Río y soy de Sonora, México. En el 2015 estaba en un proyecto que se llamaba “Voces de mujeres, historias que transforman”, donde éramos un grupo de compañeras...

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New Country, New Style, New Hair Brings Out the Swagger in Gender Nonconforming Woman.

by Vi Andrews

New Country, New Style, New Hair Brings Out the Swagger in Gender Nonconforming Woman.

My name is Vi Andrews and I’m from Miami, Florida. I’m living at my parents’ house at this time. It was at the midway point of COVID. It’s been about a year and a half, and...

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K-Pop Band BTS Helps Trans Man Break Free of Gender Expectations. “I Didn’t Have to Fit into this Trans Box of What a Trans Man Should Be.”

by Kieran

K-Pop Band BTS Helps Trans Man Break Free of Gender Expectations. “I Didn’t Have to Fit into this Trans Box of What a Trans Man Should Be.”

My name is Kieran and I’m from Amarillo, Texas. It was 2016 and I was around 29 years old, and I’d been transitioning for about a year and a half at the time. Before I came out...

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Non-Binary Person Inspired to Explore Gender Identity and Leave Toxic Ex During COVID Lockdown. “I Had Finally Chosen Myself.”

by Taylor Mckenzi

Non-Binary Person Inspired to Explore Gender Identity and Leave Toxic Ex During COVID Lockdown. “I Had Finally Chosen Myself.”

I’m Taylor McKenzi and I’m from Austin, Texas. When I was younger, I knew that I wasn’t like the other little girls around me. When we would play pretend I would often choose...

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Buffy and a Music Video Contributes to Trans Man Embracing His Identity. “You Deserve to Choose Yourself.”

by Bristtle

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...

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Trans Activist Fights Back Against Police Harassment and Winds Up Changing the System. “I Really Found My Voice.”

by Deja Alvarez

Trans Activist Fights Back Against Police Harassment and Winds Up Changing the System. “I Really Found My Voice.”

My name is Deja Lynn Alvarez. I’m from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In my early twenties being a trans woman here in Philadelphia, it was actually my birthday and a group of my fr...

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