Diversity Rules Magazine

4 Diversity Rules Magazine June 2016 Laila Ibrahim grew up in Whittier, Cal- ifornia on the eastern edge of Los Ange- les County, and moved to Oakland, California to attend Mills College where she studied Psychology and Child Development. After getting a Master's Degree in Human Develop- ment, she realized she wanted to do more hands on work with children, and opened up her own pre- school: Woolsey Children's School. Her education and experiences as an educator and parent provide ample for her writing – especially her study of At- tachment eory and multiculturalism. She identifies as a devout Unitarian Universalist – which is sort of like being a radical moderate – and worked as the Director of Children and Family Ministries at the First Unitarian Church of Oakland for five years. She lives in a small co-housing com- munity in Berkeley with her wife, Rinda, a public school administrator. She the proud mother of two wonderful young adult daughter and the not-so- proud mother of two rambunctious mini-Aussies. Laila self-published Yellow Crocus in 2011 after agents repeatedly told her that no one would want to read a story about the love between an enslaved black woman and her privileged white charge. Over the years the readers have proven them wrong. She became a full-time writer in 2015. Living Right, her next novel, is set in 2004, but with a similar theme: loving across difference. It goes be- yond the headline to reveal the life and death stakes when a devoted mother struggles to reconcile her evangelical Christian beliefs with her son's sexual orientation. She loves calling or Skyping into bookclubs and public speaking. She can be contacted at ldibra- him@gmail.com. JRK: Can you tell us a bit about your background, where you are from and all that other good stuff? LI: I was born and raised in Whittier California in Los Angeles County. I went through the public school system there and graduated from Whittier High. I moved to Oakland California to study Child Develop- ment and Psychology at Mills College. I got A Master's Degree in Human Development from San Francisco State. Attachment eory is my main academic inter- est. I met my wife at the UU Church of Oakland when I was 18, but we didn't get together until I was 21. We were married in the church in 1991. Our kids are now 20 and 23 years old. When they were young I had a preschool. JRK: Your new book entitled, "Living Right" is about gay conversion therapy. Can you tell us a bit about the book and why you wrote it? LI: It's set in a San Francisco suburb in 2004. It focus- es on a devoutly evangelical Christian mother who has a crisis of faith and identity when she learns that her son has same sex attractions after he attempts suicide. I was inspired to write it after seeing protesters at a marriage equality rally. I was struck by the group of teens and realized that parents probably brought them to this place to stand up for their highest values, and because they wanted to save lives. Ironically, I was there standing up for my highest values and because I know the freedom that comes with living out and proud. I "Living Right" Conversion Lies An Interview With Laila Ibrahim by Jim Koury, Editor/Publisher

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