LHU Holds Lavender Graduation ceremony
LOCK HAVEN — Lock Haven University recently held Lavender Graduation in the Parsons Union Building. The ceremony is held each semester at LHU to celebrate LGBTQ+ students and their academic successes. Approximately 30 students, administrators, faculty and staff were in attendance at this semester’s event.
Lavender Graduation at LHU is open to anyone regardless of their sexual orientation. This semester’s ceremony, held on Dec. 6, began with a welcome from Bre Reynolds, followed by a keynote speech by Robert Pignatello, LHU president.
During his speech, Pignatello emphasized the importance of actively demonstrating and advocating for love and mutual respect for one another, adding that the university and administration are committed to leadership that respects and promotes diversity and cultural inclusiveness. “… it is important to our (LHU’s) mission, to educate us on human dignity and rights that everyone has a claim to and to hold that up as a high value that influences everything that we do, and make it clear and obvious to all that they see it and feel it every day,” he said. “I remain devoted to ensuring that our university creates even more awareness and understanding of our students of all genders and sexual orientations.”
Graduating senior, Ellora Figured, was introduced by Dr. Julie Story, who presented her with LHU graduation gifts, a rainbow tassel and a certificate. Other speakers included Kelcie Saville, GSA and Ally remarks and Jey Chelladurai, concluding remarks.
Dr. Gayatri Devi, Lavender Graduation committee member, attended her first ceremony in 2009 in the Hamblin Hall of Flags.
“As a faculty member, I often hear from our LGBTQ+ students of the very real challenges they have often faced in their individual journeys to assert their personal identity,” Devi said. “It remains a No. 1 priority for me, and for all the faculty and staff members of the President’s Commission on LGBTQ Affairs and Safe Zone and the student members of GSA, that all of our students always feel safe, valued, respected, welcomed and loved in our campus community.”
Lavender Graduation is an academic and cultural recognition event and is a unique celebration of the diversity and multicultural values of the LHU campus community, since the LGBTQ community encompasses all races, nationalities, ethnicities, genders, abilities and socioeconomic spectrums. Lavender Graduation is sponsored by the President’s Commission on LGBTQ Affairs and student clubs GSA and Gender Equality Liberation (GEL).
The program was organized by the Lavender Graduation committee: Drs. Sandy Barney, Jey Chelladurai, Gayatri Devi, Lisette Schilling and Julie Story.
