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 Women Stories

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Keeping Austin Weird: How One Queer Woman Learned to Let Her Freak Flag Fly.

by Erica Nix

Keeping Austin Weird: How One Queer Woman Learned to Let Her Freak Flag Fly.

I’m Erica Nix. I’m from Arlington, Texas. Arlington, when I was growing up, was a pretty conservative place. It wasn’t really that cool to be different, and I alw...

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From Bi Erasure to “Flaming Bisexual”: Bi Asian Mom Learns the Value of Visibility.

by Ivy Le

From Bi Erasure to “Flaming Bisexual”: Bi Asian Mom Learns the Value of Visibility.

Hi, I’m Ivy Le from Dallas, Texas. I thought everybody was bisexual. My family immigrated from Vietnam, so I actually grew up in two really conservative cultures; Vietnamese ...

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From Heartache to Hope: How a Lesbian and Her Wife Built Their Dream Family.

by Amara Richardson

From Heartache to Hope: How a Lesbian and Her Wife Built Their Dream Family.

My name is Amara Richardson, and I’m from San Marcos, Texas.  I was 24, and my first close friend had started her family and had her first kid. And it was all new to me as n...

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How a Queer Woman’s Life-Changing Haircut Set Her on a More Authentic Path. “It Was Like Freedom.”

by Natasha Sumner

How a Queer Woman’s Life-Changing Haircut Set Her on a More Authentic Path. “It Was Like Freedom.”

I’m Natasha Sumner and I am from Santa Rosa, California.  Growing up, I was a rough and tumble kid. I loved to be out in the dirt, out in nature. It was the place where I fe...

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Out of the Closet, Out of a Job: Following Discrimination, Lesbian Pursues Life of LGBTQ+ Activism

by Angie Harden

Out of the Closet, Out of a Job: Following Discrimination, Lesbian Pursues Life of LGBTQ+ Activism

My name is Angie Harden. I’m from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  When I was 15, I got my first job. I was thrilled to have my first job. I was lucky enough to work at a recreational...

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From a Secret Wedding to Legal Marriage: A Lesbian Love Story in the Shadow of Prop 8

by KishaLynn Elliot

From a Secret Wedding to Legal Marriage: A Lesbian Love Story in the Shadow of Prop 8

My name is KishaLynn Elliot and I’m from San Diego, California.  One night in 2006, a friend of mine dragged me out for drinks in West Hollywood. We’re sitting at the ...

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Dina, a queer peruvian immigrant sits for interview.

by Dina Paolo Rodriguez

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...

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Samantha's headshot: image of white transgender woman smiling at camera

by Samantha

“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...

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Danielle S Headshot

by Danielle Stanziale

From Hooking Up to Happily Ever After: A Lesbian Love Story That Defied The Odds.

My name is Danielle Stanziale. I’m from Queens, New York. It was the end of summer, eight years ago, and I was sitting outside The Duplex on Christopher and Seventh Avenue. M...

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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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Leoni Headshot

by Leoni Terblanche

Gay Woman Leaves Gendered Uniforms & Homophobic Colleagues Behind for a More Welcoming Workplace.

I’m Leoni Terblanche from Pretoria, South Africa.  Ever since I remember when I was a child, my mom put me in dresses, until age six, where I started making my own decisions...

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Headshot of Kimberly

by Kimberly

After Homophobic Encounter in Jamaica, Lesbian Moves To US and Becomes LGBTQIA+ Affirming Counselor.

My name is Kimberly. I’m from Ocho Rios, Jamaica.  When I was 10, I started at an all girls boarding school there. I remember getting there and I was pretty overwhelmed. I s...

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