gender confirmation surgery

When Lynn Breedlove started giving rides to LGBTQ people, he heard some disturbing stories about what they'd experienced in regular cabs.

"They would tell me all these stories," he explains. "They had gotten kicked out of cabs. They have been misgendered in cabs. They have been raped by cab drivers."

Many more experienced the drive-by — when a driver would see them and refuse to stop.

We've all had our share of uncomfortable cab or ride-hailing moments, but the LGBTQ community experiences them much more frequently and on a whole other level.

Breedlove knew he had to do something to help these people feel safe going from A to B, so he started a volunteer ride service called Homobiles.

Breedlove at the wheel. Photo by Upworthy/Eagle Rare.

Homobiles is a donation-based safe ride organization in the San Francisco Bay Area that specifically caters to members of the LGBTQ community. Not only does it provide safe, reliable transportation, but no one is ever turned away because they can't afford to donate.

And Breedlove doesn't stop there. He also takes folks who are transitioning to and from their gender confirmation surgeries and related appointments.

There can be some trauma involved when going through such transformative life events, so Breedlove wants to make the trip there and back as painless and emotionally supportive as possible.

Lynn driving for Homobiles. Photo courtesy of Lynn Breedlove.

"To get a person to and from that moment in their lives where everything changes — it's such an honor."

As a transgender man himself, Breedlove's no stranger to judgement from ignorant people. So his mission to offer safe transport isn't just magnanimous — it's personal.

"I did not value myself because the whole message from the world was, 'Intrinsically, there's something really wrong with you,'" he says.

However, after fully immersing himself in the LGBTQ community, he's embraced who he really is — a punk rocker dude who loves jamming with a band and supporting his friends.

Photo by Upworthy/Eagle Rare.

He's also found love and says he's never been happier.

And it's largely thanks to his realization that with a little effort, he could make a huge difference in people's lives.

"If you get together with other people who have purpose and … are on the same path as you, you can actually change a lot of stuff."

Learn more about Breedlove's story here: