It’s safe to say that graduation is a time of celebration, self-affirmation and recognition. Graduation day is one where one should feel surrounded by the utmost acceptance and respect of all in attendance. NC State’s 2018 Lavender Graduation, hosted by the GLBT center, is Tuesday at 7 p.m. in Talley Student Union’s Piedmont Mountains Ballroom.
Lavender Graduation, an annual ceremony that NC State and numerous other universities conduct each year, honors students in the GLBT community and their contributions to the university while also respecting their identities.
The Lavender Graduation ceremony was originally created by Ronni Sanlo in 1995 at the University of Michigan in effort to acknowledge the achievements of GLBT students. Sanlo, a Jewish lesbian, was denied the opportunity to attend her children’s graduations due to her sexual orientation. From this experience, Sanlo designed the first Lavender Graduation – and since, numerous universities have followed suit.
Any GLBT student can participate in this year’s Lavender Graduation, regardless of whether or not they have been involved with GLBT organizations or the GLBT Center. Every year, students who graduate in the spring, summer or fall can all attend the ceremony. Guests and allies are also invited to come celebrate the accomplishments of these students.
Preston Keith, the assistant director of NC State’s GLBT Center, talked about the beginning and planning of Lavender Graduation.
“It was started off by Ronni Sanlo, who was at the University of Michigan at the time, and she was reflecting on the experiences of LGBT folks within higher education and realizing that higher education has often left out a lot of people, and it didn’t recognize a lot of people based on their gender identity or their sexual orientation,” Keith said.
It’s important for students in this community to recognize that they’ve made it through these institutions, according to Keith.
“From there it’s been born in that kind of vein and has been adopted across the the nation as a whole,” Keith said. “Lots of institutions of higher education have adopted some sort of Lavender Graduation or Rainbow Graduation ceremony to really commemorate the experiences and honor the accomplishments of our LGBTQ students.”
Invited faculty and staff include those who are members of the GLBT community, along with those who have been committed to the GLBT Advocate program or the GLBT Center as a whole in an effort to create a safe and affirming environment for the students, according to Keith. Lavender Graduation is open to the public.
The program will start with opening remarks, and then GLBT annual awards will be given out to student leaders who have been nominated for their leadership, advocacy and activism. About 52 graduates will be celebrated and then there will be closing remarks, “awesome music,” and food, according to Keith.
Andy DeRoin, the program coordinator of the GLBT Center, reflects on the growth of Lavender Graduation.
“I’ve been here since 2014 and we started out with about 30 people, if that, and now we have 50 or so, so it’s definitely grown,” DeRoin said. “It’s becoming way more anticipated by the campus and by students.”
Lavender Graduation is an opportunity for students who might not see themselves represented in the larger spring 2018 commencement ceremony, particularly for transgender students who have to navigate departmental politics of what name will be called and/or what pronouns will be used, according to DeRoin.
Lavender Graduation offers a time where students are recognized for their degree completion, with their name and identity being celebrated in the process.
“The Lavender Graduation offers an opportunity for students to really recognize, reflect, and celebrate their identities as well as celebrate their accomplishments at this institution,” Keith said.
During Lavender Graduation, students in the GLBT community can celebrate all that they are with people that support them and respect their identities. The graduation may very well continue to grow in the future, as more and more students hear about the ceremony.
“Since Renee Wells started as the director, we’ve been really able to engage with tons of students and basically we’re able to invite them to attend Lavender Graduation when it is time for them to graduate and we’re reaching the fourth year of that relationship building,” DeRoin said. “I see us in the future reserving the entire state ballroom and basically having a large signature event.”
More information on this year’s Lavender Graduation can be found at: https://oied.ncsu.edu/divweb/glbt/2018-lavender-graduation/.
