West Chester University to host twelfth annual ‘Lavender Graduation’
The event has taken place at the school since 2013.
The keynote will be delivered by a faculty member from the Women’s and Gender Studies department, a spokesperson for the school told Campus Reform.
A university in Pennsylvania will host its twelfth annual “Lavender Graduation” for students who identify as LGBTQ this week.
The event will take place on Thursday at West Chester University in Pennsylvania and will be organized by the school’s Center for Trans and Queer Advocacy (CTQA).
Kristin English, the CTQA’s interim director, told Campus Reform that “West Chester University has hosted Lavender Graduation since 2013 to honor the achievements and contributions of LGBTQIA+ students at our University.”
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English also added that a “faculty keynote speaker from the University’s Women’s and Gender Studies department will be the speaker for the 2024 ceremony.”
The CTQA states on its “About” section that “[w]e approach our work with an understanding, awareness and consciousness of the systematic ways oppression marginalizes members of our LGBTQIA+ community. While gender and sexuality are foundational, our broader commitment is to create safer spaces on campus and work in solidarity to build an inclusive and equitable environment where all members feel valued and have agency over their own experience.”
Its listed programs include a “Queer” book club and a celebration of “international pronouns day.” The center also hosts various trainings such as “Queer Basics,” “Trans Advocacy,” and “LGBTQIA+ Essentials.”
The CTQA also advertises scholarships related to LGBTQ issues, such as “The Bayard Rustin Book Scholarship” which is granted “to a student who has demonstrated a commitment to diversity, civility, and the inclusion/advocacy of LGBTQA concerns in their curricular and/or co-curricular lives,” and the “Dorothy Gilson Baker ‘47 Award,” which is awarded “to a student who is self-identified transgender and has advocated in the community for the inclusion of gender identity in policies and practices.”
[RELATED: University of New Hampshire hosted special graduation celebration for ’Students of Color’ and other ‘diverse’ identities]
Campus Reform has covered graduations for LGTBQ-identifying students at numerous other campuses, such as Rutgers University and Salem State University.
Campus Reform has reached out to West Chester University for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
