by Egyptt Labeija

1980s: Seeing Trans Women For The First Time: “I Felt Welcomed.” I grew up in a town in Long Island called Freeport. And I grew up basically in a middle-class home. My parentsLate 1980s: Overcoming Homelessness, Joblessness And Abuse: “There’s Always a Way Out Of A Bad Situation If You Want A Way Out.” In the late eighties, when I finally left myLate 1990s: From Walking Balls To Mentoring Youth: “It Taught Me That You Have To Step Outside The Box.” In the late nineties is when I went to my first ball. It was interesti2010s: Giving Back To The Community. “I Am Here Today To Let People Know That They Are Somebody.” So in 2015 is when I was asked to be in the House of LaBeija. It was intense ...

by Ben

I’m Ben. I’m from Seattle, Washington. I knew I was gay from about the age of 12 or so and by the time I was 17, I was getting ready to come out. So, there was an AIDS service...

by Ritchie Torres

I’m Ritchie Torres. I’m from Bronx, New York. I remember the first time when I went to the Village and saw two men hold hands together, I was shocked because you would never i...

by Scott Riedel

Hi, I’m Scott Riedel. I’m from Ironton, Ohio. It’s a small town in southern Ohio. I moved to New York about twenty-five years ago and met my partner Gil. Gil was born and ra...

by Ryan Hunter Greenlee

My name is Ryan Hunter Greenlee and I’m from Chicago, Illinois. So when I was in high school, I decided it was time to come out. And through a little trepidation, I went through...

by Rick Stuckey

I’m Rick Stuckey from Chicago, Illinois. I’m Lutheran. I grew up Lutheran. I went to a Lutheran high school. And I always felt a little different. It was summer, it was June, ...

by Sandi Marx

It’s my first day at my first job and I am scared shitless. I am sitting in the reception area at J. Michael Bloom which was this huge popular talent agency at the time and I wa...

by Dwayne Jenkins

Today’s Video Story was collected on the 50-state Story Tour. We met Dwayne in Nashville; he does amazing work with many organizations, one in particular being Nashvile CARES, Hi, I’m Dwayne Jenkins, originally from New York but now residing in Nashville, Tennessee. As a young person who had a child at a very young age, not biological, but sort of a s...

by Josh B.

So as part of the “peer mentoring” program at my town’s reformed Jewish temple-cum-Hebrew school, I was leading a class discussion about marrying outside the faith. I was a ...