by Richard Wandel

“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“1960s: In Retrospect, I Think Of Him As My First Love.” I had this friend in in high school. He was clearly my best friend. We didn’t use words like that necessarily, but hKicked Out Of Monastery in 1969: “They Noticed My Homosexuality Before I Did.” So I’d been, all together, I was in the monastery for six years. From the time I graduated higFirst Meaningful Sexual Experience As An Adult: “I Knew That Meant I Was Gay.” So in 1969, after having been in a monastery for six years, I left. And I returned first brieflyFollowing Gay Man’s First Protest In 1970: “I Knew Where My Place Was.” It was in the summer of probably 1970. I had recently, the fall before, left the monastery that I hadProtest At Radio City Music Hall: “There’s A Great Deal Of Fun In Standing Up For Yourself.” It must’ve been about 19, probably 71, maybe 70. I’m bad at dates but in thaOne Week As A Gay Activist in 1971: Rejection, Assault, and Gunshots. If you want to have an idea of what it was like even in New York City or New York State in the early seventieFollowing The Funeral Of A Gay Friend: “I Left That Church Promising Myself Never To Go Back In.” So after being a gay activist in New York City for about five years – so ro...

by Che-CheTurrubiartez

Hello. My name is Che-Che Turrubiartez. I’m from Chicago, Illinois. Back in 2009, I used to be part of this youth group at the Illinois Safe Schools Alliance. And, you know, eve...

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 Lynn Currie

I’m Lynn Currie. I’m from Austin, Texas. Growing up my dad was in the military, so we kind of moved all around. And ended up finishing up high school in a little town called B...

by Fataah Dihaan

I’m Fataah Dihaan, I’m from Buffalo, New York. I went to an all-boys Jesuit private high school, President of the class, I was fairly popular. My Senior year I was editor of o...

by Paul Lalonde

My name is Paul Lalonde and I’m from Cornwall, Ontario, in Canada. About a decade ago when I was about 22 or 23, the same-sex marriage campaign in Canada was ramping up quite a ...

by Alan Bounville

I’m Alan Bounville, I’m from Worcester, Massachusetts. Back in 2011 I started a 6,000 mile walk across the country. I walked for gender and sexual orientation equality. I had ...

by James Clementi

I’m James Clementi and I’m from Ridgewood, New Jersey. Growing up, my family was very loving. I come from a household with a mom and a dad and two younger brothers. I’m the ...

by Elicia Gonzales

My name is Elicia Gonzales and I am originally from Colorado. When people ask me where, I usually say Denver, ‘cause that’s what people know. But I technically grew up in Broo...