True LGBT Stories - I'm From Orange, VA

I saw this video on Towleroad today and was so moved by this gentleman - he's so intelligent and well-spoken, he totally impressed me. :)

Quoting from Towleroad:

Nathan Manske and Marquise Lee just finished a 4 month, 50 state tour of the United States collecting stories for their I'm From Driftwood site. We'll be sharing some of the stories they collected along with some of the insight into what they saw. They're still encouraging people to submit their written stories via IFD.

Earl has lived within 10 miles of Orange, Virginia, his entire life. His family has been there for generations and he built his house by himself. He's been surrounded by tradition and the same religous beliefs forever which makes it all the more impressive that he broke out of the mold and developed his own belief system all while keeping his religous faith. A lot of people we met on the Tour struggled with balancing their faith and sexuality and Earl seemed to have mastered it with dignity and respect.

Here's a bit of info on the Driftwood project from YouTube:

www.imfromdriftwood.com is a compilation of true stories by gay people from all over in an attempt to help LGBTQ teens feel not so alone. Please pass the link along to anyone who might benefit from, contribute to, or simply enjoy the site, stories and videos. Thanks!

I have to say that when I first read the story on Towleroad, before I watched the video I wondered if this was the story he was referring to - I love what he says about reading it with an open mind. Inspiring!