University of Maryland schools offering graduation ceremonies segregated by race, sexuality

At least three schools in the University System of Maryland are participating in a nationwide trend of offering separate “Lavender Graduations” for students who identify as LGBTQ.

The University of Maryland at Baltimore will host its “Lavender Graduation” on May 10, which is “an annual ceremony conducted on numerous campuses to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and ally students to acknowledge their achievements and contributions to the University.”

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A week later, the University of Maryland at College Park will host its own “Lavender Graduation” on May 17. A university spokesperson told Campus Reform that this year will mark the 26th occurrence of the ceremony. 

The University of Maryland at Baltimore County will also host segregated ceremonies. The “Black & Latine/x Graduation” will take place May 21, and the school’s 11th Lavender Graduation will take place May 20. 

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Several colleges and universities are offering identity-group based ceremonies this year, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Massachusetts, and Boston University.

Campus Reform contacted each named university for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.