The Lavender Graduation Legacy Project Archives
Preserving LGBTQ+ Graduation History for Generations to Come
The Lavender Graduation Legacy Project is building a comprehensive archival collection that documents the origins, growth, and diversity of Lavender Graduations nationwide. This includes photographs, event programs, academic regalia, ephemera, and digital media. We believe this collection will be a valuable historical resource for researchers, educators, and the public—capturing a vital part of LGBTQ+ and higher education history that has often gone undocumented, or worse, is being erased by our current national political situation.
For over 30 years, Lavender Graduations have celebrated the achievements of LGBTQ+ students in higher education. These ceremonies honor courage, authenticity, and resilience—but their stories, photos, and programs are scattered and are at risk of being lost. Without preservation, an irreplaceable chapter of LGBTQ+ history could fade away.
The Lavender Graduation Legacy Project Archives will:
- Collect historic programs, photos, and keepsakes from Lavender Graduations nationwide
- Record oral histories from graduates, organizers, and advocates
- Digitize all materials for secure, long-term preservation
- Create a free, searchable online archive for educators, students, and researchers
The purpose of the Archives is to collect and preserve the history of Lavender Graduation. How was it created on campuses, with what funds, and through what initiatives? Who were the people and the dates of their school’s event? We wish to generate lists of exhibits, publications, and other special items—to create a framework for better understanding how Lavender Graduation has unfolded over time.
We will conduct research surveys to find materials that may relate to Lavender Graduation and its programs. The purpose of the survey is to gain knowledge of what materials exist relating to Lavender Graduation, where those materials are, and what kinds of formats are represented (tapes, photos, etc.). We will contact past primary staff to see if they have materials that should be part of the archives. If they don’t want to part with items, at least we’ll have information about what they have and where the items reside.
The Archives are being set up in a secure, safe environment. We’ve set aside adequate space to house materials and set up worktables, computer stations, media playback equipment, and other things needed to create both storage space and workspace for processing collections. Materials will be consolidated, and the space is protected from potential threats of flood, fire, vermin, unauthorized intrusion, direct sunlight, and climate extremes. As the collection grows, we will find a university or national archives to serve as a safe location where people may access the holdings.
Your donations to this important project will help fund:
- Archival storage and preservation supplies
- Professional digitization and metadata creation
- Oral history recording and transcription
- Web-based public access portal
Your support will:
- Safeguard decades of LGBTQ+ academic and cultural history
- Ensure that every future graduate sees themselves reflected in a proud tradition
- Provide educators and advocates with documented evidence of inclusion in higher education
Your investment in the Lavender Graduation Legacy Project Archives ensures that the courage and brilliance of LGBTQ+ graduates will inspire us for generations.
We do not charge for our services. Our Manual and your generous donations are our only sources of income to help us do this good work.
Preserve your Lavender Graduation artifacts!
The current administration is trying to eliminate Lavender Graduation, indeed trying to eliminate our entire history. The Lavender Graduation Legacy Project is creating the archives to preserve your Lavender Graduation items and to preserve our story. We are here; they cannot erase us!
Send a stoll, your program, and other items from your Lavender Graduation event to us so we may preserve the Lavender Graduation story.
We are here; they cannot erase us!
This year’s (2025) Lavender Graduation at Cal State University, Fullerton was such an uplifting event. Of course, the most important moments were the graduates sharing their journeys, challenges and successes. Finishing his first academic year since arriving at CSUF, President Ronald Rochon offered his words of congratulations and captivated the guests with his sincere emotion and vulnerability as he shared that this was his first Lavender graduation and how an upbringing with very different views of LGBTQ+ persons had been transformed into a warm loving embrace of our community. GO TITANS!”
— Bob Ericksen
How to send your items to the Archives
For further information or mailing assistance, please contact Dr. Sanlo at (310) 508.5963.
Let’s protect these milestones of pride and academic achievement.
Please make your tax deductible gift to the Lavender Graduation Legacy Project
A project of Strait Knot Productions
ein number 92-2510473
Member, Society of American Archivists
Member:
NASPA
LGBTQ Leaders in High Education
Society of American Archivists
Consortium of Higher Education LGBT Resource Professionals