History of Lavender Graduation

Lavender Graduation ceremonies have a rich history and began with the first Lavender Graduation at the University of Michigan in 1995. The first Lavender Graduation ceremony was created by Dr. Ronni Sanlo, the Director of the Lesbian and Gay Programs Office at the University of Michigan. Dr. Sanlo, who had been denied admittance to her children’s commencement ceremonies because of her sexuality, realized there were no recognition ceremonies to honor the lives and achievements of Queer and Trans students. With the extra stress and pressure placed upon Queer and Trans college students, Lavender Graduation ceremonies are an important rite of passage that offer recognition and inspiration to students. Lavender Graduation ceremonies are open to all graduates, those within the Queer and Trans communities and their allies. The tradition is continued today at hundreds of institutions across the nation and the Pride Alliance is honored to add UNT’s name to that list.

Lavender Graduation, Spring 2020

Attention Queer and Trans UNT Spring and Summer 2020 Graduates!

Congratulations on your graduation! Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, UNT's campusl remains closed and we are unable to hold our usual Lavender Graduation ceremony in recognition of our Queer and Trans graduates. However, we would still like to recognize our Spring and Summer graduates and the monumental accomplishments they have achieved.

In lieu of our Spring ceremony, we are requesting that students submit a photo of themselves accompanied by a quote/reflection to be featured on the Pride Alliance social media accounts. We want to honor your stories and experiences in as public a way as possible in light of COVID-19 restrictions. We would also like to send our graduates their stole via mail, so that they can receive it before campus re-opens. We understand that some graduates may have already left Denton and may not be returning, and don't want them to have to return to Denton in order or pick up a stole from our office.

Lastly, we are inviting all Spring and Summer 2020 graduates to participate in the Fall Lavender Graduation that will be held in December 2020.

Please fill out the form in order to participate in the online recognition and/or to receive a stole. Please email PrideAlliance@unt.edu with any questions. Congratulations and take care!