Lavender Graduation

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 Graduation 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 Graduation 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 Graduation.

Join The THRIVE Center on Tuesday, May 7th, 2024 from 10 to 11:30 a.m. as we celebrate the accomplishments of our LGBTQ+ community at Lavender Graduation.

Graduating students should register by Friday, April 19 on EngageXU to secure a Lavender cord.

We invite the campus community to please register on EngageXU and join us in celebrating our XU graduates!

Lavender Graduation 2024 flyer. 

Congratulations to our graduates from the Class of 2023!

Jada Michelle Batacan
Lauren Bennett
Rachel Bickett
Elizabeth Bien
Sydney Bowie
Kayleigh Bush
Brandon Caissie
Maia Davis
Maria Eha
Mary Katherine Eom Gurka
Xena Gray
Al Henry
Aleya Justison
Julia Lankisch
Erik Maahs
Maya McGee
Isabelle Munafo
Anna Murawski
Adrienne Nguyen Storer
Alexander Sims
Bethany Ann Thomas
Mara Vaughn