Lavender Graduation is an annual ceremony conducted on numerous campuses to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally students and to acknowledge their achievements and contributions to the university. The Lavender Graduation Ceremony was created by Dr. Ronni Sanlo, a Jewish Lesbian, who was denied the opportunity to attend the graduations of her biological children because of her sexual orientation. It was through this experience that she came to understand the pain felt by her students. Encouraged by the Dean of Students at the University of Michigan, Dr. Sanlo designed the first Lavender Graduation Ceremony in 1995. The first Lavender Graduation began at the University of Michigan in 1995, with three graduates. By 2001, there were over 45 Lavender Graduation Ceremonies at colleges and universities nationwide. Graduating students, including undergraduates and graduates, are invited to take part in the celebration, which occurs each year the week prior to university-wide commencement events.

“My vision is that Lavender Graduation will be an annual celebration at every college and university in the country and that the lives of our LGBT students will be fully honored. Since LGBT students are of every race, ability, nationality, gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic levels, Lavender Graduation provides a unique opportunity to present a truly multicultural event while acknowledging students who spent most of their college years succumbing to invisibility on their campuses.” – Dr. Sanlo, 1996

Lavender is important to LGBTQ+ history. It is a combination of the pink triangle that gay men were forced to wear in concentration camps and the black triangle designating lesbians as political prisoners in Nazi Germany. The LGBTQ+ civil rights movement took these symbols of hatred and combined them to make symbols and color of pride and community.

The Multicultural Center staff and Alumni Association are happy to honor your achievements with a ceremony to provide you with a lavender cord and certificate. After the ceremony, we host a celebratory alumni reception for attendees with light refreshments and photo opportunities.

For decades students at colleges and universities around the country have been celebrating both their academic achievements and their cultural heritages at specialized commencement events. Many of these events are student-initiated and usually occur during the university-wide commencement weekend. These events provide a sense of community for minority students who often experience tremendous culture shock at their impersonalized institutions. For many students they are the payoff for staying in school and friends and families find the smaller, more ethnic ceremonies both meaningful and personal.

Lavender Graduation is a cultural celebration that recognizes LGBTQ+ students of all races and ethnicities and acknowledges their achievements and contributions to the university as students who survived the college experience. Through such recognition LGBTQ+ students may leave the university with a positive last experience of the institution thereby encouraging them to become involved mentors for current students as well as financially contributing alumni.

Lavender Graduation is an event to which LGBTQ+ students look forward, where they not only share their hopes and dreams with one another, but where they are officially recognized by the institution for their leadership and their successes and achievements.

Any LGBTQ+ identified undergraduate or graduate student and active allies to the community.

This event is free and open to the public.

Yes! Lavender Graduation is not a substitution or replacement for Georgia State’s Commencement Ceremony and the certificate you receive at Lavender Graduation is not your official diploma.

Lavender Graduation is open to the public, but attendees must register as graduates and guests by the deadline. Lavender Graduates will be able to invite up to 2 non-graduating family, chosen family, friends, and peers to cheer them on during the Lavender Graduation Ceremony.

Yes! All members of the Georgia State community are invited to honor our lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual/ aromantic and ally graduates at our annual Lavender Graduation celebration. The PRIDE Awards recognize individuals, departments, and organizations that have made Georgia State a safer and more inclusive environment for LGBTQ+ students, faculty, staff and alumni. PRIDE Award categories include:

• • OUTstanding Student of the Year: This award is given in recognition of a graduating student who is welcoming, service-oriented and has made tremendous effort to bring visibility, support and leadership to the LGBTQ+ community at GSU.
  • OUTstanding Alumni of the Year: This award is presented by the Alumni Association to GSU alumni who have demonstrated exceptional leadership through activities, activism, or policy work that exemplify an outstanding commitment to cultures, communities and inclusion.
  • OUTstanding Mentor of the Year: This award is presented by the Multicultural Center in recognition of a peer or professional mentor that has contributed to the Community Connections (C2) Mentoring Initiative by supporting students in the LGBTQ+ cohort. 
  • OUTstanding Mentee of the Year: This award is presented by the Multicultural Center in recognition to a mentee of the Community Connections (C2) Mentoring Initiative who has demonstrated growth and resiliency within the LGBTQ+ cohort.
  • OUTstanding Faculty/Staff of the Year: This award is given to a faculty/staff member who has worked to create a better campus environment for LGBTQ+ community.
  • OUTstanding Community Partner: This award is given to a campus department, student organization or community member/ organization whose work has improved the student experience or removed institutional barriers for LGBTQ+ students, staff and faculty at GSU.
  • OUTstanding Emerging Leader Award: This award is given to a first or second year student who has made tremendous effort to bring visibility, support and leadership to the LGBTQ+ community at GSU.

Georgia State University seeks to provide equal access to its programs, services and activities for people with disabilities. If you will need accommodations for this event, please contact the Access and Accommodations Center at 404-413-1560 or [email protected]

Dress to impress; formal attire. We encourage graduates to dress up in graduation regalia (ex., cords, stoles, and graduation cap).

M Deck is the closest parking deck to the venue for guest. Students with a parking pass may park in the Blue Lot.

Lavender Graduation will offer attendees the opportunity to be featured on our social media. Please tag the Multicultural Center at @multiyougsu on Instagram featuring a picture or video of yourself, so we can repost to our Instagram story. Please note that the tag to the Center's Instagram account will serve as consent to repost on our story and may be re-shared by the official GSU Instagram account @georgiastateuniversity. Please note, your account setting needs to be made public so that we can see the post and have access to re-share. We look forward to seeing the highlights you share with us!

If you wish to volunteer, please contact Chrissonia McCall via email, [email protected] or phone 404-413-1584.