The Lavender Pre-Commencement Celebration is an inclusive ceremony honoring all students
while recognizing the achievements and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,
queer, and allied students. Hosting this kind of ceremony is common among many community
colleges and universities: Lavender Graduation — or, in our case, Lavender Pre-Commencement
Celebration. Like Veteran, Black, and Chicano Pre-Commencement Celebrations, Lavender
Graduation is a celebration of the cultural contributions of the LGBTQ+ students of
all races and ethnicities and their allies to the college while acknowledging the
achievements and contributions of all students.
2027 Pre-Commencement Ceremony
Date: TBD
Time: TBD
Location: TBD
RSVP Due Date: TBD
RSVP: Lavender Pre-Commencement 2027
History and Tradition of Lavender
Lavender is important to LGBTQ+ history. It is a combination of the pink triangle
that gay men were forced to wear in concentration camps and the black triangle designating
lesbians as political prisoners in Nazi Germany. The LGBTQ+ civil rights movement
combined these symbols of hatred to make symbols and colors of pride and community.
The importance of lavender in LGBTQ+ history cannot be overstated. Today, the symbols
of hatred combined to make lavender serve as a reminder of the struggles and triumphs
of the LGBTQ community throughout history.
The Lavender Graduation Ceremony was created by Dr. Ronni Sanlo, a Jewish Lesbian
who was denied the opportunity to attend the graduations of her biological children
because of her sexual orientation. It was through this experience that she came to
understand the pain felt by her students. Encouraged by the Dean of Students at the
University of Michigan, Dr. Ronni Sanlo, then Director of the University of Michigan
LGBT Campus Resource Center, designed and coordinated the first Lavender Graduation
to acknowledge the achievements of three LGBTQ graduates in 1995. By 2001, over 45
institutions were holding Lavender Graduation Ceremonies, and the tradition continues
to expand to additional colleges and universities Nationwide.
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