by Donald Bell

“What Was It Like? Stories by LGBTQ Elders” is a new program by I’m From Driftwood, in partnership with Comcast, the nation’s largest cable provider, and SAGE, the countDictionary Makes Gay Teen Feel Less Alone One of the significant characterizations of the period that I spent in high school in the mid-60s – from ‘63 to ‘67 was that one da1960s: “I Was in a Process of Falling in Love at First Sight.” One of my life experiences that I like to share dates back to my early teen years. Back in the 1960s, I was 19 yBeing Black and Gay in the 1960s: A Matter of Life and Death My late teen years, when I was at university, were times that were really life and death-related times for people my a“It Was Extraordinary”: Man Asks Man On A Date In 1967 Another significant incident from my youth, from my late adolescence, happened in 1967, my first year at university. I w“[My Mother’s] Number One Duty Was To Be An Accepting Parent.” I went to my first march on Washington 48 years ago in 1969 in the moratorium march against the war. And what Racism At A Gay Bar: “It Was Shocking. It Was Hurtful. I Teared Up Right There.” I did have some experiences from later in life that were significant to me. One happened aboutLiving In LGBT-Friendly Senior Housing: “We Live Like Neighbors. And That’s A Good Thing.” Today, I am 67. Well, actually, 67 and a half, as my grandson would tell you. And ...

by Mark Segal

“What Was It Like? Stories by LGBTQ Elders” is a new program by I’m From Driftwood, in partnership with Comcast, the nation’s largest cable provider, and SAGE, the count1956: “SOME PEOPLE CALL THEM QUEER.” The first time that I recall ever knowing about gay people – homosexuals, “those kind of people,” queers, was when I was about 6 ye“WITHOUT GENERAL VON STEUBEN, A GAY MAN, THERE WOULD BE NO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.” One evening, I was sitting on the couch, just relaxing, watching TV. It was a typical tal“WE CREATED A MOVEMENT. THAT’S THE LEGACY OF THE GAY LIBERATION FRONT.” Just before I was supposed to graduate from high school, I left. Went to New York, that was in May of1972: ACTIVISTS HIJACK LIVE SHOW, DEMAND GAY LIBERATION Philadelphia was known for – is known for American Bandstand. It’s the birthplace of American Bandstand and all those t“[YOUR ACTIVISM] IS RUINING IT FOR THE REST OF US.” We knew the way to do what we wanted to do, which was to get our LGBT people before the mainstream of America. So we wanted“I’M PROBABLY ONE OF THE LUCKIEST GAY ACTIVISTS IN THE WORLD TO HAVE HAD [MY PARENTS].” About 1970, to further gay youth, I created the gay youth organization inside Gay LibAFTER FOUNDING LGBT-FRIENDLY SENIOR HOUSING IN PHILADELPHIA, “I’M A CRADLE-TO-GRAVE ACTIVIST.” In every part of our community since 1969, when Gay Liberation Front started, ...

by Thea Iberall

“What Was It Like? Stories by LGBTQ Elders” is a new program by I’m From Driftwood, in partnership with Comcast, the nation’s largest cable provider, and SAGE, the count...

by Ken Henderson

My name is Ken Henderson and I’m from Globe, Arizona. I dated girls in high school, I noticed boys a lot but being gay wasn’t something that really seemed an option to me at t...

by Victor Mendolia

I’m Victor Mendolia and I’m from Selden, New York, which is on Long Island. When I was 16, I started going out to Fire Island, to Cherry Grove. I had recently left this born-a...

by Ron Huberman

I’m Ron Huberman and I’m from Boston, Massachusetts. I first met Harvey Milk when I walked into his camera store on Castro. In the summer of 1975, I was teaching school at tha...

by George Ashiotis

I’m George Ashiotis and I grew up in Astoria Queens. Around the age of five, I was playing ball in the park with my father and my sister. I remember there was a blue ball that w...

by Ken Barnhart

Prior to my first public declaration that I was gay, I had been married to a wonderful woman for 27 years. Together we raised four children and I have two grandchildren. I love th...

by Craig Osterberg

I was 15 years old when I came out to my parents in 1976. Actually, my 15-year-old boyfriend “confessed” to his parents about us, and I was outed in that way. My dad was a ret...