The University is preparing to host its inaugural Lavender Graduation to honor LGBTQ students for their achievements. The event will place on from noon to 1 p.m. Friday, May 6 in the Student Union Ballroom.
Courtesy: Inclusion.olemiss.edu
Lavender Graduation has been around for several years. The first ceremony took place at the University of Michigan in 1995 and has since then been instituted at numerous universities throughout the country. The ceremony was created by Ronni Sanlo, a Jewish lesbian, after she was not allowed to attend her children’s graduation due to her sexual orientation. Traditionally, every ceremony takes place a week before the university’s commencement events.
Jamie Cantrell, professor and member of the inaugural planning committee, said Lavender Graduation is a way to honor students for their achievements at Ole Miss.
“Lavender Graduation is a cultural celebration that recognizes LGBTQ students and acknowledges their achievements and contributions to the University as students who successfully navigated the college experience,” Cantrell said.
Lavender is a significant part of LGBTQ history. It is a combination of the pink triangle gay men were required to wear in concentration camps and the black triangle that labeled lesbians as political prisoners in Nazi Germany. The LGBTQ community turned these symbols of hate into a symbol of pride in their community.
At least 50 guests are confirmed for this year’s ceremony, Cantrell said. A total of 13 students are expected to participate, which consists of six graduates and seven undergraduates.
“We will honor those students with purple cords and a reception ceremony,” Cantrell said.
According to Cantrell, the graduation is co-sponsored by several groups on campus including the Sarah Isom Center for Women and Gender Studies, the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement, UM Pride Network, the Department of Student Housing and the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation. The graduation is also supported by the newly-formed Ole Miss LGBTQ Alumni and Friends Organization.
Cantrell said she believes there will be a time where celebrations for the LGBTQ community will be the new normal at Ole Miss.
“Major universities in the South to our north, west and east, including the University of Tennessee, Louisiana State University and the University of Alabama all hold Lavender Graduation ceremonies in the spring,” Cantrell said. “Gosh almighty, it’s time for the University of Mississippi to get on board.”
The Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement Director Shawnboda Mead said the Lavender Graduation has been a major priority for the committee for the past two years.
“This event is actually one we’ve been talking about for the past two years since the center opened,” Mead said. “We weren’t able to make it happen our first year here so in partnership with all these other groups and offices we were just able to move forward with the planning.”
The University attempted to hold a Lavender Graduation years before the Center for Inclusion and Cross Cultural Engagement existed, Mead said. According to Mead, Cantrell has played an integral part in the research and development process.
Mead said an event like the Lavender Graduation is important for the Oxford community.
“It is important for our community to provide a graduation ceremony and celebration that recognizes our own members of the community who identify as LGBTQ who are graduating,” Mead said. “It’s a final way to encourage staying connected and feeling supported by the institution.”
