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Event Details

Monday, October 11 2021

7:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Event Contact

Christopher Drajem '90, is high school English teacher in the School District of Philadelphia. He and his husband Patrick are the proud parents of two wonderful teenagers, Isabella and Jordan.  After having lived for many years in Seattle, WA, the family recently moved to Philadelphia. Christopher and his mother Linda, co-author of Wandering Close to Home, share their thoughts on parenting, religion, gender and sexuality on the Drajem Family Writers blog.

Tiffany Galvin Green, Ph.D. serves as Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at John Carroll University, where she oversees all matterns of equity, inclusiveness, diversity, equal access, and the prevention of discrimination and harassment. Previously, Dr. Green served as Assistant Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence at Vanderbilt University. She also has industry experience having been the CEO and executive director of River Region Human Services, Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida, where she oversaw 13 non-profit locations and 200+ employees across three counties. Previous faculty appointments include the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts, Capella University (Minnesota), Flagler College (Florida), the University of Utah, University of Texas at Dallas, and the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Dr. Green holds a Ph.D. in organizational behavior and M.S. in management/organizational behavior from Northwestern University and a B.B.A.from the University of Michigan.

When Christopher came out to his parents in the mid-1990s, they did not disown him or force him into conversion therapy.  When Linda had her feminist click around the same time, she did not leave her husband or her religion. Their worlds did not change completely, and yet they were turned upside down.  The road to acceptance bridged a sea of negative societal expectations and traversed a mountain of guilt.

This collaborative memoir explores how each author left behind limiting, outdated roles that no longer worked, and kept only what mattered most: their individuality and their family.  The book provides a map of how the authors questioned their religious beliefs, spoke truthfully to one another even when it hurt, and continue to work together as a family in love.