Lavender Graduation 2025

Wednesday, April 16, 2025
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Allendale Campus
Alumni, Community, Faculty, Staff, Students

A vase of yellow and purple flowers on top of a lavender table.

Mission: Celebrating the personal and academic achievements of LGBTQIA+ and allied students and recognizing their contributions to our campus. Attendance is open to all!

Program: Meal is served, welcome and remarks, awards, keynote address, recognition of graduates, reception and photo booth.

If you are interested in attending Lav Grad as a graduate or would like to reserve a rainbow tassel, please complete the Lav Grad Registration Form.

To nominate an outstanding LGBTQIA+ graduate for Lavender Graduation 2024, complete the outstanding graduate nomination form.

Cultural Context
Lavender Graduation is a cultural celebration that recognizes LGBTQIA+ students' contributions to the university and acknowledges their achievements during their college experience. Students are officially recognized by the institution for their leadership, success, and achievement.

Historical Context
Lavender Graduation began in 1995 at the University of Michigan to honor the accomplishments of LGBT and allied graduates. Ronni Sanlo, the director of the resource center at that time, believed LGBT students needed their own graduation ceremony like that of other racial and ethnic minorities on campus. Since 1995, campuses across the country have hosted their own Lavender Graduations to honor the accomplishments of LGBT graduates.

The color lavender is important to LGBT history and culture as it is a combination of pink and black: the colors of triangles gay men and lesbians, respectively, were required to wear as prisoners in Nazi concentration camps. The LGBT rights movement reclaimed these symbols of hatred to create a color symbolizing pride and community.

Location Information

Pere Marquette (2204 Kirkhof)

Download parking map for the Allendale Campus

Contact Information

Email [email protected] or call 616-331-2530 with questions or for any accommodations.

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This event was added to the calendar by Joey Grubbs-Hulst (hulstjoa@gvsu.edu) on Friday, February 21, 2025 and was last updated on Monday, February 24, 2025 at 8:17 a.m.