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 Trans Stories

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After Hitting Rock Bottom, Trans Person Finds Inspiration in Helping Others. “Not Every Queer Kid Out There Has the Support of Their Families.”

by River Francis

After Hitting Rock Bottom, Trans Person Finds Inspiration in Helping Others. “Not Every Queer Kid Out There Has the Support of Their Families.”

I’m River Francis. I’m from Bar Harbor, Maine. When I was six years old, I saw an episode of Night Court, which featured a trans person. And for the first time I realized that ...

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Homophobic Experience at Medical Center Leads Trans Student to Change Entire Life Path.

by Tavish McMillin

Homophobic Experience at Medical Center Leads Trans Student to Change Entire Life Path.

My name is Tavish McMillin. I am from Marietta, Oklahoma. I devoted myself to music all through high school, all through middle school, actually, too. And I decided that, you know ...

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Trans Man’s Father Goes From Apprehensive to Ally: “I Know That My Dad Is In My Corner.”

by Grey Pierce

Trans Man’s Father Goes From Apprehensive to Ally: “I Know That My Dad Is In My Corner.”

Hi, I’m Grey Pierce. I’m from Rehrersburg, Pennsylvania. So I was in my last quarter of my freshman year at Oberlin College and I was taking my exams. Since I had been living o...

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After Therapist Outs Student To Parents & Turns School Against Her, Trans Teen Finds a Way to Thrive.

by Arielle Rebekah

After Therapist Outs Student To Parents & Turns School Against Her, Trans Teen Finds a Way to Thrive.

I’m Arielle Rebekah. I am from Harrington Park, New Jersey. I struggled with depression my entire life. And when I was 17 years old, I became so depressed that my parents decided...

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After Series of Incidents, How One Person Learned to Stop “Letting It Go” & Start “Naming My Needs.”

by Christian Luu

After Series of Incidents, How One Person Learned to Stop “Letting It Go” & Start “Naming My Needs.”

My name is Christian Luu. I’m from Dallas, Texas. And before the pandemic, maybe four or five months, I was working at a pretty large national chain restaurant. Servers tend to b...

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With the Flick of a Wrist, Trans Woman Turns a Corner in Her Transition and Decides to Come Out at Work.

by Jami Shofner

With the Flick of a Wrist, Trans Woman Turns a Corner in Her Transition and Decides to Come Out at Work.

My name is Jami Shofner and I’m from Houston. Twenty years ago, which was back in the mid-nineties somewhere, I was doing stand-up comedy as a woman, and I was in a drag show in ...

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Trans Nonbinary Person Learns to Put Herself First: “Sha’Nyia Today Is Just All About Self-Care.”

by Sha’Nyia Baltimore

Trans Nonbinary Person Learns to Put Herself First: “Sha’Nyia Today Is Just All About Self-Care.”

My name is Sha’Nyia Baltimore. I’m from New Orleans, Louisiana. In 1995, I graduated high school. My best friend takes me to a gay bar for the first time. I see drag. I’m com...

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Trans Person Finds a New City, New Friends, New Therapist: “So This Is What Happiness and Freedom Can Actually Feel Like.”

by Sam Davis

Trans Person Finds a New City, New Friends, New Therapist: “So This Is What Happiness and Freedom Can Actually Feel Like.”

Hi, my name is Sam Davis and I’m from Washington DC. It all started when I was 11 years old and I first experienced my horrific menstrual cycle. I was out on a Sunday afternoon a...

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One Person’s Path To Nonbinary Identity: “Having Doubt and Uncertainty Doesn’t Make Me a Fraud. It Makes Me Human.”

by Rae McDaniel

One Person’s Path To Nonbinary Identity: “Having Doubt and Uncertainty Doesn’t Make Me a Fraud. It Makes Me Human.”

Hi, my name is Rae McDaniel. I’m from Chicago, Illinois. I was in a place in my life about four or five years ago where I was really questioning a lot about my gender identity an...

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Trans Woman Comes Out To Colleagues, Who Welcome Her With Open Arms.

by Jessica Soukup

Trans Woman Comes Out To Colleagues, Who Welcome Her With Open Arms.

Hi, my name is Jessica Soukup. I’m from Austin, Texas. I currently work at Texas State University. I’ve been here now for 11 years. About five years ago, I came to a revelation...

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Trans Person Finds Community And Gender Euphoria In Philadelphia. “It’s Not Going To Be An Easy Road, But It’s Worth It.”

by Sunny Marks

Trans Person Finds Community And Gender Euphoria In Philadelphia. “It’s Not Going To Be An Easy Road, But It’s Worth It.”

My name’s Sunny Marks. I am from Coopersburg, Pennsylvania. In 2016, I came out as a lesbian, as a Butch lesbian or stud, to my family and friends. It was definitely a difficult ...

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Trans Woman Reflects On Her Four-Decade Journey To Authenticity.

by Nancy Menusan

Trans Woman Reflects On Her Four-Decade Journey To Authenticity.

1969: Trans Woman Reflects On Exploring Her Gender As A Child. “I Knew Inside Who I Really Was.” In 1969, I was 12 years old. I was living in Douglaston, Queens. And I had –...

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