I'm From Driftwood

Our mission at I’m From Driftwood is to help LGBTQ people learn more about their community, straight and cisgender people learn more about their neighbors, and everyone learn more about themselves through the power of storytelling and story sharing. 

The most personal and meaningful stories are shared when the storyteller is in a trust-worthy, welcoming, judgment-free environment. At IFD, we strive to create that environment on every level, whether you’re a long-time supporter at one of our events or a first-time visitor to the site. Be yourself, be comfortable and let’s get to know each other.

We are ALWAYS accepting stories, videos, pictures, and quotes. These can include, but aren’t limited to:

• childhood stories
• coming of age & coming out
• first crush
• love, relationships & encounters
• family matters
• whatever else you feel like sharing!

We want to hear from you!

Robin Goldman, “I’m From Berkeley, CA”

Before Robin’s double mastectomy she throws a ‘Bye Bye Boobie’ party with friends, and it proves to be fantastic and healing.

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Robin Goldman, “I’m From Berkeley, CA” 

Robin survived cancer, had a double mastectomy, faced being single - and finds acceptance.

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(Source: imfromdriftwood.com)

by Amanda Bergeron-Bauer

by Rebecca Allen

I was raised Southern Baptist, like so many other Southerners. One thing was made very clear in my religious education: homosexuality was a one-way ticket to Hell. So you can imagine the horror I felt when I realized in 3rd grade that I liked my best girl friend the way the other girls liked boys. I stuffed it down, and as I grew into middle/high school I became very promiscuous – with guys. I did everything I could to prove to myself it wasn’t true, and I prayed every night for hours for God to take it from me, because I was so scared I would go to Hell, but I couldn’t seem to shake the feelings I was having about other girls.

Then I met Brianna at the age of 16, and the first time I kissed her the whole world shattered. I could no longer deny what I knew about myself…I was a lesbian. Brianna and I were together for about a year before our parents caught on. That was an unfortunate incident in itself. Bri’s mother came home early from work and found us sleeping in her bed together. On top of the covers. Naked. Needless to say there was a lot of screaming, and she called my parents to tell them what happened. So I didn’t really have to “come out” for myself. I was threatened with a “Pray the Gay Away” camp, so I threw myself back into the hetero scene, marrying my best guy friend at the age of 21. He knew I was gay, but we really cared about each other, so we thought we could make it work. You can guess how that ended, but I did get two beautiful children out of the deal. By the time we got divorced, he had turned into a raging alcoholic and I had fallen in love with his best friend’s wife (a love that was returned, for a while), so it was just a big mess. That fell apart (how could it not?) and I moved states to return to my hometown.

Obviously, I had to come out again to my folks as an independent adult, and found that it really wasn’t any easier. They have struggled with it because of their religious beliefs, but I truly think they have made some major headway in accepting who I am and seeing it’s so not a choice. At least we’re moving in the right direction, and I am so very thankful for that.

After a few failed attempts at relationships, I met my partner, online of all places. I could not find a more devoted, sweet-souled person. We have been together ever since, raising the kids as our own, and I am finally in a place where I can be honest with myself and others around me about who I am. Now I’m working on my degree and my writing career, as well as being an LGBT activist. My life is so full and so wonderful…I would not change a thing.

You can be gay AND happy. AND successful. AND fulfilled. For everyone out there still struggling, hang in there, baby. We’re all behind you.

Gina Bonica, “I’m From Levittown, NY

From telling her family she’s engaged, to caring for a friend dying from breast cancer, Gina explains how being a lesbian affects every aspect of her life.

In partnership with the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of the LGBT Community, IFD shared stories of LGBT cancer survivors and friends. The LGBT community is affected disproportionately by lung cancer, prostate cancer, and cervical cancer. By sharing these stories, we hope to raise awareness of cancer in the LGBT community. To learn more, visit http://www.relayforlife.org/LGBT.

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(Source: imfromdriftwood.com)

by Mari S.

When you’re a kid no says when I grow up I want to be a mom, especially a single lesbian mother of two. You see in my household homosexuality was not uncommon. I had 2 gay uncles, and another who was bisexual, my mother’s best friend was a MTF transsexual. It only became an issue when I tried to come out and being an only child made it a bit harder. To make a long story short and not go through the history of my adolescence and half of my adult years; to make my mother happy I ended up living a double life. Two daughters later I decided that I could no longer live this lie and although I came out to everyone else in my family I finally came out to my mother and mentally sent myself free.

I thought then that telling my mother about my sexuality would be the hardest thing I have ever done but that was not the case. Being a mother of two made dating a complete headache and emotional roller-coaster. You see with lesbians there are no grey areas when it comes to children. It’s either black or white, my kids were either a deterrent to some while for others an excuse to hold on to me. I’ve dated quite a few women over the years but the one that affected me the most because my kids became a big factor in our relationship/breakup, it would have to be with my ex-girlfriend from 2007-08. We were together for 8 months and there were little things that I noticed about her behavior towards my kids. She was very standoffish and tried to spend the least amount of time with them as possible and it bothered my kids especially my oldest who always asked why was my ex so boring and she never wants to do anything with us like this person did. When I would ask she would give excuses and say she was tired but it was all a bunch of bullsh**. In the time we were together she had never once mentioned to her family mainly her mother that she was seeing someone with kids, all she mentioned was that she was seeing someone. It made things difficult for us. That along with the fact that she listened to what everyone else had to say about her being with a woman with kids, and could not make an adult decision for herself. The last weekend we spent together I knew something wasn’t right and the day she left to go back to her perfect suburban life she tells me, “We need a break. I just really need time to find myself and what I really want.” Although broken-hearted I let her go. Months go by and my friends are like, “Mari, c’mon, you really didn’t believe she needed to find herself right?” More like she needed to find someone who didn’t have kids. Not too long after I found out she did when she showed up without my knowledge to my birthday party with a date. My friends were right and although it hurt I had moved on and was with someone that accepted the fact that I had children and things eventually fell into place for everyone.

My point is, my story is that my children are a blessing to me and I have had some great relationships and dating experiences but I have also had some bad ones. I never let a few bad apples ruin it for the whole tree. Quite honestly it is in those relationships that have made me more grateful to be a mother because I achieved something most never will. Plus the fact that my daughters rock and I would rather spend my weekend with them than on a date, because we all know that lesbian drama makes baby Jesus cry…

-(Share your story with us!)

Annise Parker, “I’m From Houston, TX”

Houston mayor Annise Parker shares a story about a young and forbidden love.

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(Source: video.imfromdriftwood.com)

“I’m From Simi Valley, CA”

Story by Michelle Stone; artwork by featured artist, Brian Ness

*Be on the lookout for work by an IFD featured artist every Sunday!

If there was only one important fact that I could have learned when I was a little girl, it would be that your attraction towards either men or women could come out at anytime. Mine happened to surface when I met Chelsie. I was only ten years old, halfway through our fourth grade year, when I saw her and thought from the bottom of my heart, “I have to be friends with her.”

After that, we began to hang out more often and before either of us had realized it, we were the best of friends. If one of us did something, the other would follow along. We did everything together. When I would ask what her favorite animal was, she would answer and I would say it was mine as well. The smile she would give me encouraged me to truly love whatever she loved. Before I knew it, all her favorite things became my favorite things.

I was still young and I didn’t like knowing things that weren’t important, so then I never knew what it felt like to love someone, or how people looked at you differently if you liked the same gender as yourself. So when both Chelsie and I were lying on the carpet together, listening to our teacher read us a story with the class, I didn’t think it was weird or strange at all when I rolled over and kissed her on the cheek quickly. The only thing I remember was her looking at me strangely, lifting her hand to her cheek, before giggling softly. I giggled right along and couldn’t stop laughing.

Towards the end of the school year our teacher had given us a new assignment. It was a solo project, we had to make a card to the person we loved most. The first person who came to my mind was Chelsie, so I made the card for her. As I was drawing on the card with all the colors both Chelsie and I loved most, I paused for a moment and wrote down in the corner, in very small words, “I love you.” With my card ready, I waited for the right moment to give it to her. I noticed that she was returning some crayons to the big plastic bin in the front of the class. Wasting no time, I grabbed a handful of crayons and my card and walked over to the bin so I could meet up with Chelsie.

Both Chelsie and I met up at the same time. I dropped the crayons in and whipped the card out in front of her face. She blinked in confusion before taking it out of my hand. I suddenly felt embarrassed and muttered quietly to her, “This is for you…read it and don’t show anyone.” Chelsie only smiled and nodded at me. We both turned and went back to our seats. Class was ending so everyone was putting up their chairs and getting ready to head home. As I stacked my chair I looked over across the room and saw Chelsie reading the note.

She stood for a moment, and then she turned to look at me, confusion filling her face as she began to walk towards me. I froze up, did she not like it? As she came closer I walked over and met up with her half way, now even more embarrassed. Chelsie gave me the most confused and distressed look and asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Her words sounded harsh and I felt my face begin to flush. I quickly made up an excuse, “I mean…well I think of you as a sister. Usually close friends say “I love you” because they are really close and I think of you as my sister and all so that’s…”  I trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

Chelsie gave me another weird look before breaking out into a smile, “Aw, thanks! I love you too, then.” She then walked forward and gave me a hug. I didn’t really know how to respond, so I just hugged back and smiled.

Even after all that, after thinking everything was going to be alright, Chelsie told me told me two weeks before the school year ended that she would be moving out of the city once school ended. At first, I was a little sad at the thought that she would be moving away, and I asked her to try to convince her parents out of it. Of course, that didn’t change her parents mind. The school year seemed to fly by after that and once it started to end, so did my time with Chelsie.

When the last day of school did arrive, I was ready to say my goodbyes to Chelsie and to give her my house phone number and my address to keep in touch. I even had a little stuffed dolphin to give to her–I paid for it myself and it was her favorite animal so I thought she would have loved it. But when I walked into that classroom, only to learn that Chelsie was already gone and that yesterday was her official last day at school, I felt torn up inside.

The rest of the school day went by in a blur and the only thing on my mind was Chelsie. She was gone, and I would never be able to talk to her again. I came home that day, so depressed and lost I didn’t really know what to do. I still didn’t know why I felt like this, why it tore me up inside that she was gone forever. With nothing else in mind, I sat behind my couch where no one could see me, pulled up my boom box, played Aaron Carter’s “I’m Gonna Miss You Forever” over and over again, hugged the stuff animal dolphin and cried for what seemed to be hours on end.

Ever since then, I had gone through my life thinking about her almost every day. My mom and friends told me about different ways to make wishes and every time I got a chance at all I wished for the same thing every time, “I wish to see Chelsie again.” I soon came to realize, with the help of my best friend, that I truly loved her. At first, I took in the news as a bad thing, saying that it wasn’t true and that I shouldn’t like girls at all. But even so, as the information sunk in and I looked back on my actions, I realized it was true. I really did love Chelsie.

Five years after Chelsie left my life and two years after I realized that I loved her, I finally saw her. It wasn’t in a way I was expecting at all. I happened to get a new MySpace account and she added me as a friend. My heart stopped for a moment as I looked to check if it was really her. When I confirmed it was her, I cried happy tears so hard and for so long, that my eyes were completely red and my nose was stuffy.

Now, I find myself talking to Chelsie every day. She tells me about boys she had dated and who she currently likes and always comes to me for advice. Chelsie, I think, has forgotten about everything I had done for her, but I don’t mind. I finally got to be with my best friend again and I can help her with her problems; that’s all I need now to keep me content for a long time.

-(Share your story with us!)

Randi and Shellie, “We’re from Peoria, AZ”: Spouse Changes Gender, Couple Stays Married

A true testament of commitment, a married couple stays together after the husband transitions to a woman.

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(Source: video.imfromdriftwood.com)