Middlebury's Lavender Graduation to be 'final ode' to 'perseverance' of LGBT graduates

Middlebury College in Vermont is preparing its third annual “Lavender Graduation” for students who identify as LGBTQ on May 11, according to the event page. 

“Lavender Graduation is open to all graduating LGBTQIA+ students—whether they have been involved in LGBTQIA+ student organizations or with the broader LGBTQIA+ community,” the event page says. “This ceremony is intended to be a reclamation of Middlebury as their own—a final ode to their perseverance, achievements, and explorations as LGBTQIA+ Middlebury students.” 

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The college first held such a ceremony in 2022. The new Prism Center for Queer and Trans Life is hosting this year’s event. 

The Center is led by Director Janae Due, who uses “They/Them” pronouns. She “support[s], advocate[s] for, and create[s] programming for queer and trans students,” and uses her “lived experiences as a fat, queer, disabled, Black person to help others explore topics around privilege, identity, oppression, and marginalization,” according to her page on Middlebury’s website. 

Campus Reform covered the establishment of the new Prism Center in January. 

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“While I hope the Prism Center brings insurmountable joy, I hope the center can also be a place of solace, to hold grief and engage in community for healing, justice and transformation,” Due said, according to The Middlebury Campus. 

Multiple other schools are planning to host “Lavender Graduations” for students who identify as LGBTQ, as Campus Reform has reported. 

Campus Reform contacted Middlebury College and the Prism Center for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.