Lavender Reception

The color lavender plays a historic role in LGBTQ+ history and within the LGBTQ+ community. It’s a combination of the colors pink and black, which were once used to identify and discriminate against gays and lesbians. Over the past 50 years, the LGBTQ+ community has reclaimed lavender as a symbol of pride and revolution in the community.

The history of Lavender Reception dates back to 1995 at the University of Michigan with only three graduates. Dr. Ronni Sanlo, then Director of the University of Michigan LGBT Campus Resource Center, coordinated the first Lavender Reception to acknowledge and honor the achievements of LGBTQ+ graduates. Since then, over 200 colleges and universities across the country have joined in, hosting similar events in celebration. In Spring 2022, Xavier University joined a number of our Jesuit peers including Georgetown, Holy Cross, Seattle University, and Boston College as we celebrated the accomplishments of our LGBTQ+ community at our inaugural Lavender Reception.