The College of Staten Island Division of Student and Enrollment Services invites you to attend the Sixth Annual Lavender Graduation Reception on Wednesday, May 24 in the Gordon and Lorraine Di Paolo Board Room (Building 1A, Room 406) at 4:00pm.

The event is open to graduating LGBTQ+ students, as well as LGBTQ faculty, staff, and alumni who have not been honored before.

 You may register online.

In 1995, the first Lavender Graduation ceremony was coordinated at the University of Michigan by then LGBT Campus Resource Center Director Ronni Sanlo. Dr. Sanlo realized that LGBT students needed to be recognized for “not only their achievements but for surviving their college years” (Sanlo, 2000). The graduation began as an effort for students to feel connected to their institution and celebrate their identity, which are similar reasons for ethnic groups hosting their own graduation ceremonies.

“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.” – Ronnie Sanlo, PhD

The College hosts an annual Lavender Graduation Reception, which is a special graduation ceremony that honors the achievements of graduating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer students at the College of Staten Island. We seek to recognize graduating students, former alumni, and current faculty and staff. The Lavender Graduation Reception provides a safe space to honor those graduating students, not only for their scholastic achievements, but for their successes, challenges, obstacles, and achievements navigating their time at CSI as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. We seek to recognize and honor students, not only for what they have done, but for being who they are.

We ask anyone who would like to attend to help honor our graduating students, faculty, staff, and alumni to please rsvp at the above link, as well.

Please share this information with any graduating students who may be interested  in attending.