Eastern Michigan University's LGBT Resource Center will be hosting its annual Lavender Graduation on April 17.
The graduation ceremony is centered around the acknowledgment of LGBTQ+ students and the achievements made during their time at Eastern.
"It's celebrating the fact that they are queer, that they are in college, that they're graduating," Sara Reder, student assistant at the LGBT Resource Center, said.
During the ceremony, graduating students will be provided a Lavender Graduation certificate, and they will also have the option to receive a stole, cord, and graduation tassel. The cords and stoles will be available in both rainbow and lavender colors.
There will also be a variety of performances by students.
"A lot of people come to college, and it's a sense of self-discovery for them," Reder said. "So this is an opportunity to recognize them and recognize them not only for completing college but also coming into themselves as a person."
Participation in the ceremony is open to all students who identify as LGBTQ+ and who graduate in the winter, summer, and fall 2024 semesters.
Reder, who worked at the Lavender Graduation last year, says that she has noticed the ceremony's impact on students' feelings of being accepted.
"I get a lot of students who come up to me saying how they've never truly felt accepted until they were in a place like this, or they've always felt scared about being who they are, or that our programming helps move them in a right direction where they feel comfortable in their own skin," Reder said.
The ceremony will begin at 3 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom. The event is free and open to all of Eastern's community.
"The main hope for Lavender Graduation is for students to leave EMU feeling accepted and feeling loved and feeling like they can come into themselves and come into life after university with a stride," Reder said.
Those who wish to participate in the ceremony must register by April 5. Registration can be completed using the link provided on Eastern's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion website.
