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 Pearl Bennett

“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 countTRANSCRIPTS: “IN THE LONG RUN, I’M GOING TO BE HAPPY I TOLD HER THIS.” My name is Pearl, I’m a transgender woman. I didn’t transition until I was 50 years of age. Back i“I’M NOT TAKING THIS DRESS OFF.” In 1997, give or take a year or two, I was working out on Fire Island, a barrier island, off of Long Island, and I worked at this little res“THE CHALLENGES OF LIVING PUBLICLY AS A WOMAN: “HE YELLED, ‘THAT’S A MAN!’” The year was 2000. I was living my life as a woman, as Pearl. I had not changed my “JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE DOG RUN.” During that first year before any, before my transition, I, the day before, I went to the dog, took my dogs to the dog run as Ken. And I wen“THAT’S HOW I CAME OUT TO THE FAMILY.” The big hurdle for me was telling my family about my living as a woman now, living as a transgender woman. What I did is, I went to a “MY NAME WAS PEARL FROM THEN ON.” The year was around 1997. I went out, it was Gay Pride weekend. I marched in the Gay Pride parade with some friends in New York City. They we...

by Cecilia Gentili

The life expectancy of a trans woman of color, actually I think it’s like a trans person, but I identify as a trans woman of color I like to say, the life expectancy of a trans wom“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 countThe life expectancy of a trans woman of color, actually I think it’s like a trans person, but I identify as a trans woman of color I like to say, the life expectancy of a trans I’m from a really small town in Argentina, called Galvez and sometimes we would travel to my grandma’s house which was in an even smaller town called San Martin de Las EscobasWhen I started high school, I was about 12 or 13 I think, they gave us these uniform guidelines. So you have to wear grey pants, you have to wear a white shirt, you have to wear bWhen I was in high school, it was a project. A school project. I think I was 13, 14, I’m not really sure which year it was, but it was a school project where you had to choose aSo I came out as gay around when I was around 12 years old. It was around the time that democracy came to Argentina, when the dictatorship went down and we chose a president and pWhen I was 17, 18 years old, I finished high school and I left that small city that I’m from in Argentina called Galvez to go to college at the University of Rosario, which is i...

by Thom Hansen

“I Wouldn’t Kiss You If You Were The Last Boy On Earth.” Well it was 1969 just pre-Stonewall. And I was a Sophomore in high school. I went to St. Peter’s Preparatory Schoo...

by Robert Richards

“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 countIn a small town, you know everyone in your neighborhood. I mean, you know everyone that comes and goings and everything because you see them. And I used to see this boy and he looIn a small town, the drug store, the one in my neighborhood, was called Tilly’s, was like a bar. Gentlemen would go there in the evening and sit and smoke and talk to one anotheWhen I finally got to high school, and by that I mean out of the clutches of catholic school, I was very happy because I was in a big school. It was a consolidated school that chiIn my mid 20s, I had pretty well settled into a comfortable career drawing fashion in New York. And I was very happy. This was a period when fashion was very of-the-moment in New The greatest gift, the greatest moment in my life is that I met the love of my life when I was nearly 50. And it was a very strange experience. I had had Thanksgiving dinner with ...

by Sandy Warshaw

7puGcsw-qCI“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 countI was brought up with the mantra, you get married, you have children, you live happily ever after. And I did that six months after college. I got married, year and a half two yearI was separated in 1977, I was officially divorced in 1978. I was already here. I met a woman at Swim Club and she’s the first person I had a relationship with and it was not onI do everything late, okay? Except get married. So I started karate when I was 53 and through karate I got involved with the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation where thereBecause I didn’t come out publicly until the 90s, I missed a whole lot of gay and lesbian life and a whole lot of gay and lesbian experience, and certainly the lesbian experiencIn the year 2000 I was just about 70. And I went to work for SAGE, I was their first Director of Advocacy and Training. And that was when I learned in the gay and lesbian setting,...