On Tuesday, May 6th, Fairmont State had its Lavender Graduation Ceremony. Lavender Graduations celebrate the achievements of LGBTQIA+ students and are held annually towards the end of the spring semester. Both spring and fall graduates are invited to be a part of the ceremony and this year, four LGBTQIA+ graduates were celebrated. This was Fairmont State University’s fourth Lavender Graduation.
The ceremony was supported by the campus organization Falcons with Pride as well as the Fairmont Pride organization. The ceremony was planned by Dr. Julia Miller and Dr. Jacki Sherman who sponsor the Falcons with Pride organization. University President Mike Davis spoke and the guest commencement speaker for the ceremony was Zane Hornbeck-Buseman who gave a heartfelt, personal, and inspiring speech to the graduates. The graduates were all honored with stoles and then everyone enjoyed a meal together.
When asked to give thoughts on the ceremony, Dr. Jacki Sherman said, “I am very pleased to be able to continue the tradition and very thankful to have an institution that cares about our students and accepts them as they are. I’m really proud of Falcons with Pride for keeping the tradition going and thankful to Fairmont Pride. I am also really proud of the graduates.” The ceremony was held in hopes that the graduates would have a moment to look back to where they were not only accepted but celebrated for who they are, as well as their academic achievement.
The 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. The first Lavender Graduation was held at the University of Michigan in 1995 and by 2001, 45 different universities were holding similar ceremonies. Since then, the tradition has spread nationwide and is held at more than 500 campuses. 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. Using Lavender in this way helps the LGBTQIA+ community to reclaim a symbol that was once used to promote violence against the community.
Dr. Miller was unable to attend the event but had this to say about the ceremony, “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 Lavender Graduation helps students who are members of the LGBTQIA+ community feel safe, accepted, and appreciated, and stands as a symbol of pride, visibility, and resilience for the LGBTQIA+ community.
