Fairmont State is having a Lavender Graduation on May 6th, 2025. Lavender Graduations celebrate the achievements of LGBTQIA+ students. Lavender Graduations are held annually every spring and fall graduates are also invited to attend. All LGBTQIA+ graduates, their allies and supporters on campus, and the broader LGBTQIA+ and ally community are invited to attend. This will be Fairmont State’s fourth annual Lavender Graduation. The event is being planned by Dr. Julia Miller and Dr. Jacki Sherman, who head the campus’s Falcons with Pride organization.
When asked about the event, Dr. Miller said, “I am particularly excited for this year’s Lavender Graduation. In our political moment today, in which Lavender Graduations are being cancelled and LGBTQ people told to return to the closet, I think it’s especially important to honor the work our LGBTQ graduates have put in to be here. We want to let the world know that Appalachian queer people exist, that Appalachian queer people won’t stop fighting for each other, and that Appalachian queer people can thrive here and anywhere they choose to go.” The event will feature University Chief of Staff Brian Selmeski speaking, as well as the Lavender Graduation Commencement Speaker Zane Hornbeck-Buseman.
The graduates will be honored with a stole at the ceremony, and a meal will be served. The Lavender Graduation tradition was initially started in 1995 by Dr. Ronnni Sanlo, a Jewish lesbian and mother who was barred from attending her children’s graduation ceremonies based on her sexual orientation. She feared that students might also be having similar painful experiences and set out to hold a ceremony where they would be honored. The tradition began at the University of Michigan, and by 2001, over 45 universities held Lavender Graduations. Today, more than 500 campuses across the country hold Lavender Graduation celebrations, which have become a time to celebrate and honor LGBTQ students’ accomplishments and their contributions to their campus community and beyond.
The color lavender calls back to World War II when symbols were used to mark the political prisoners and victims of Nazi violence. Many people might be familiar with the inverted pink triangle, a symbol now reclaimed by the LGBTQ community that was originally a marker for gay men. The inverted lavender triangle was a symbol for lesbian women. Fairmont State University has a diverse community of students, including a thriving LGBTQIA+ community. The Lavender Graduation is meant to give LGBTQIA+ students a positive experience to look back on where they were both recognized for their achievements and accepted as themselves.
As Fairmont State prepares to host its fourth annual Lavender Graduation, the event stands not only as a celebration of academic achievement but also as a powerful testament to visibility, resilience, and pride within the LGBTQIA+ community. As more universities join in this important tradition, the Lavender Graduation serves as a reminder that, despite the challenges faced, LGBTQIA+ students have a lasting impact on their campuses and beyond. This year’s ceremony will not only mark a significant moment in the graduates’ lives but will also reaffirm the commitment to creating more inclusive and supportive spaces for all students, regardless of background or identity.
