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 Gay Men Stories
From Anderson Cooper to Heartstopper, Gay Man Learns the Value of Living for Himself.
My name is Kevin Bentley, and I’m from Baltimore, Maryland. When I was 17, my brother came out as bisexual. He put it out there and was just, “This is it. No room for discussio...
Closeted Gay Athlete In Small Town Finds Hope in Will & Grace. “That Show Saved My Life.”
My name is Brandon Hines. I’m from Dublin, Georgia. When I was about, I would say 10 or so years old, I was very masculine, very into sports. I was the typical boy. I had a cousi...
From Dolls to Disney, Gay Artist Advises “Don’t Stop Your Children From Exploring Their Imagination.”
Hi there. My name is Jozef Szekeres and I’m from Sydney, Australia. As a boy, I knew that I was a little bit different from the other boys and girls. Well, actually, probably I w...
The Legend of Hippie Hollow: Sheriff’s Offhand Remark Helps Cement Austin as a Naked Gay Destination.
Hello. My name is Dennis Paddie. I was born in a little hamlet in Arkansas called Sardis. I came to Austin in 1965 to train for the Peace Corps. And in the course of living here ov...
Artist Thrives After Coming Out About Gay Porn Past. “After I Lost My Fear, All The Positive Things Started To Happen.”
My name is Anthony Camargo. I’m from Austin, Texas. 1995. I am living in South Beach. I have a gallery on the infamous Lincoln Road, and I have a client who comes in regularly to...
Closeted Gay College Athlete Learns to Speak Up For Others Following Transformative Pride Experience. “It Makes You A Better Person.”
Hi, my name is Dre’Quan Reed. I was born and raised in New Brunswick, New Jersey. I grew up in an area where it was pretty much a lot of masculinity going around. I had to presen...
Gay Man Acknowledges Sexuality at High School Retreat, Then Comes Out To Mom. “I Will Not Allow Darkness To Creep Over My Life.”
I’m Trevor McCray and I’m from Baltimore, Maryland. In my family, there’s a rule – I don’t know about yours – but it’s an unspoken rule that family business stays wit...
Gay Man Reconciles Faith and Sexuality After Profanity-Laden Defense of Mother at Church.
Hi, I’m Danny Lopez. I am from Austin, Texas. Thirteen, 14 years ago, I started dating this guy. Everything was going good and well. Unfortunately, he was outed. In a way I was h...
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...
1980 Shooting At A Gay Bar Leads Gay Man To Learn Resiliency at the Onset of the AIDS Epidemic.
My name is Kevin Usher. I grew up in Cinnaminson, New Jersey. November 19th, 1980, me, a recent graduate from Boston Conservatory, living in Greenwich Village. I had a good friend,...
A Letter From Founder & Executive Director Nathan Manske
The stories on I’m From Driftwood send a message that you’re not alone, no matter who you are or what you’re going through. But it also provides an opportunity for the LGBTQIA+ comI was inspired to create I’m From Driftwood after seeing a photograph of Harvey Milk, one of the first openly gay elected officials in the United States, riding on the hood of a ...
