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 Stories

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From HRT to FIFA: Trans Athlete Joins a Women’s Soccer Team – Then Creates Her Own

by Bethany Cyrtmus-Davaul

From HRT to FIFA: Trans Athlete Joins a Women’s Soccer Team – Then Creates Her Own

I’m Bethany Cyrtmus-Davaul, and I’m from Hudson, Wisconsin.  When I was 28-years-old, in my condo in Chicago, sitting on my nice wine red couch, I was watching some Yo...

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Trans Parenthood: Daughter’s Birth Inspires Woman to Live Authentically.

by Sharlot

Trans Parenthood: Daughter’s Birth Inspires Woman to Live Authentically.

Hi, I’m Sharlot and I am from San Antonio, Texas, originally.  I have a 3-year-old daughter. She was born three months before the start of the pandemic. And so I was still w...

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Back On Track: Gay Man Finds Fulfillment By Prioritizing His Dreams Over Partying & Distractions.

by Daniel

Back On Track: Gay Man Finds Fulfillment By Prioritizing His Dreams Over Partying & Distractions.

My name is Daniel. I’m from Guanajuato, Mexico. And when I was 15 years old, I moved to the United States, specifically Reno, Nevada. Ever since when I was a little kid, I al...

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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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Put It In Writing: Gay Man Learns Tough Lesson After Losing His Partner – and Everything They Built.

by Alfred Engstrand

Put It In Writing: Gay Man Learns Tough Lesson After Losing His Partner – and Everything They Built.

Hello, my name is Alfred Engstrand. I’m from San Antonio, Texas.  When I was 25 years old, I was approached by an older gentleman who needed my help to run his restaurant, b...

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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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Ctrl+Alt+Defeat Discrimination: How One Trans Activist Transformed the Tech Industry.

by Mary Ann Horton

Ctrl+Alt+Defeat Discrimination: How One Trans Activist Transformed the Tech Industry.

My name is Mary Ann Horton, and I’m from San Diego, California.  Think back to 1997. I was a closeted cross-dresser working for Lucent Technologies in Columbus, Ohio. I knew...

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X-Men & Real-Life Heroes Inspire Gay Man to Become a “Super Lawyer”

by Rick Anderson

X-Men & Real-Life Heroes Inspire Gay Man to Become a “Super Lawyer”

Hi, I’m Rick Anderson. I’m from Pearland, Texas. I grew up in the Clear Lake, Friendswood area in my early childhood in the eighties and nineties. And it was a communit...

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Love & Loss in Russia: How One Queer Person Drew a Valuable Lesson from Their Teenage Heartbreak.

by Irina Groushevaia

Love & Loss in Russia: How One Queer Person Drew a Valuable Lesson from Their Teenage Heartbreak.

My name is Irina Groushevaia and I’m from Moscow, Russia.  When I was 16 years old, I was living with my estranged father because my mom abandoned me, and it was a difficult...

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Gender-Affirming Care Leads Trans Woman From Sex Work & Prison to Motherhood, Marriage, and a Career

by Tabytha Gonzalez

Gender-Affirming Care Leads Trans Woman From Sex Work & Prison to Motherhood, Marriage, and a Career

I’m Tabytha Gonzalez, pronouns she and her, and I’m from Newark, New Jersey.  I first came to New York City. I was with my dance crew, or a dance crew that I was a par...

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Gay Aunt Becomes Queer Person’s Beacon of Hope Amid Homophobic Family

by Kirsten

Gay Aunt Becomes Queer Person’s Beacon of Hope Amid Homophobic Family

My name is Kirsten and I’m from Queens, New York.  So when I was growing up, me and my aunt, my mother’s sister, were very close. There was an intensity to that closen...

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“We Can’t Be Patient Forever.” Trans Person Finds Joy & Community After Cutting Ties with Family

by SJ

“We Can’t Be Patient Forever.” Trans Person Finds Joy & Community After Cutting Ties with Family

I’m SJ. I’m from Dallas, Texas.  I grew up in a house where it wasn’t really normal for us to talk about our feelings. That was really difficult for me. As a chi...

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