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 Voices Stories
After a Nearly Fatal Bout with Depression, Gay Man Learns to “Smile for Yourself” And Live Authentically.
I’m David. I’m from Toronto, Ontario in Canada. Back when I was in high school, I was watching this YouTube video of this YouTuber. He was gay at the time. When I saw his video...
Gay Man Learns to Accept Himself After Reaching Low Point. “No Matter What Happens Now, I’m Comfortable With Who I Am.”
My name is John. I’m from Salt Lake City, Utah. One of the first times I encountered anything to do with LGBT+ issues was when I was 10. I was watching the news with my mother, a...
After Escaping Certain Death in the Middle East, Gay Man Faces New Challenges In America.
It was 2003. It was a hot summer day. I was coming out of my work where I worked with an American company, crossing the bridge, trying to take a cab to go back home after a long da...
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 ...
Bisexual Man Breaks Free of Parents’ Expectations: “It’s Important to Remain True to Yourself.”
Hi, my name is Gabe Lopez and I’m from Los Angeles, California. I grew up in a pretty traditional Catholic family, and I remember as a kid, when my mom would go shopping for me, ...
How One Person, In the Wake of Their Own HIV Diagnosis, Came to Save the Life of Another. “I Like to Call It a Dark Blessing.”
My name is Dimitri Moïse and I am from Queens, New York. So back in 2018, I was diagnosed with HIV. It was one of the hardest things I think I’ve ever had to hear. It was a huge...
God Compels Gay Christian to Accept Himself. “You’re Trying to Be Something You’re Not.”
I’m Rob Mundras and I am from East Windsor, New Jersey. When I was in my early twenties, I was an employee at a fast food restaurant, which was called Gino’s. And me and this o...
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...
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...
Queer Teen Defies Principal And Starts LGBTQ Student Group. “‘No’ Makes No Sense to Me.”
My name is Grant Loveless and I’m from Austin, Texas. My story begins when I was 10 years old and I moved to Manor, Texas. At the age of 10, I was influenced a lot, especially by...
Gay Man Opens Up About HIV Status to Provide Hope for Black Queer Youth.
I’m Tarik Daniels and I’m from Detroit, Michigan. Around 12 years ago, maybe 11, back in Atlanta, I was in a long-term relationship and we went on a business trip in Miami. H...
Using Art to Change Minds: “I Realized How Much Power a Drag Queen Can Have.”
Hello. My name is Christopher Barbosa. I am Mission, Texas in the Rio Grande Valley. I was about four or five years old. I was in daycare. My mom was a business woman at the time. ...
