Lavender Graduation was created in 1995 at the University of Michigan to honor the lives of LGBTQ graduating students and their academic achievement. It was designed to show LGBTQ students that they mattered to the university. Lavender Graduations have been hosted at colleges and universities for the past 30 years. The Lavender Graduation™ Legacy Project supports those celebrations and encourages high schools to host Lavender Graduations as well. The Project also encourages LGBTQ community centers and other organizations to host “The Lavender Graduation You Never Had” for their LGBTQ community members who graduated prior to 1995, the year Lavender Graduation was born. Finally, the Lavender Graduation™ Legacy Project is the repository for the Lavender Graduation archives, preserving our history at a time when it’s being erased. The political climate today has disrupted many Lavender Graduations and their immediate future is challenging. Therefore, the Lavender Graduation™ Legacy Project supports the ongoing life of Lavender Graduation.
Now more than ever…the Lavender Graduation™ Legacy Project.
The History of Lavender Graduation
Lavender Graduation was founded by Dr. Ronni Sanlo who created the first Lavender Graduation in 1995 after witnessing the exclusion of LGBTQ+ students from traditional honors and ceremonies. Today, Lavender Graduations are held across the U.S. and beyond. The Lavender Graduation Legacy Project carries the legacy of Lavender Graduation forward by helping schools and organizations celebrate every graduate with authenticity and joy and by preserving the history of Lavender Graduation
Why Host a Lavender Graduation?
Hosting a Lavender Graduation is an act of love and an act of courage. It is important because it recognizes, uplifts, and celebrates the achievements of LGBTQ+ students in a way that traditional ceremonies do not. Lavender Graduation:
🌈1. Celebrates LGBTQ+ Identity and Achievement
- Lavender Graduation honors the resilience, strength, and success of LGBTQ+ students who have often had to navigate systems not built for them.
- It affirms students’ identities at a key life milestone and marks the intersection of queerness and academic success.
🌈2. Creates a Safer, More Inclusive Space
- For many queer and trans students, traditional graduation spaces may feel isolating, gendered, or unsafe.
- Lavender Graduation offers a space where pronouns are respected, families of choice are welcomed, and love and pride are abundant.
🌈3. Builds Community and Connection
- It allows graduates to see themselves as part of a legacy of LGBTQ+ excellence at their various institutions.
- Alumni, faculty, staff, and community leaders come together across generations to support and uplift the next wave of queer leaders
🌈4. Honors the Journey
- Many LGBTQ+ students face housing insecurity, family rejection, discrimination, or mental health challenges during their educational journey.
- This ceremony recognizes the courage it takes not just to graduate, but to do so while living authentically.
🌈5. Makes Institutional Change Visible
- Hosting Lavender Graduation sends a powerful message: LGBTQ+ students matter to the academy.
- It shows a commitment to equity, inclusion, and celebration regardless of whether or not DEI policies still exist.
🌈6. Celebrates Families of Choice and Chosen Names
- Students can be recognized by the names and pronouns they use, often for the first time in an official setting.
- They may invite the people who truly support them—whether related by blood or not.
When your school or organization hosts a Lavender Graduation, you’re not just throwing a party.
You’re changing lives, transforming institutions, and making joy a form of resistance.
Host a Lavender Graduation with Confidence. The Lavender Graduation Legacy Project offers:
- ✅ A step-by-step planning toolkit
- 🎤 Zoom workshops and consultations
- 🎁 Sample agendas, budget tips, and gift ideas
- 🌎 A growing community of other Lavender Graduation hosts
Whether you’re starting from scratch or building on tradition, we’re here to help you create something beautiful.
Member:
NASPA
LGBTQ Leaders in High Education
Society of American Archivists
Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals