Julia Keleher, director of the University of Idaho LGBTQA Office, makes it a priority to recognize the achievements of the LGBT students at UI.
Keleher said one of her favorite events that praise those students is Lavender Graduation — an event that celebrates the LGBT students who are graduating from the university.
She said Lavender Graduation came to UI in 2006 with the start of the LGBTQA Office, but the event is not unique to UI.
According to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the first Lavender Graduation was created by Ronni Salgo in 1995 at the University of Michigan. Salgo said she was denied the opportunity to attend her children’s graduations due to her sexual orientation, leading her to design this ceremony.
Now in 2017, the HRC cites that UI is one of more than 150 universities in the United States that holds this special graduation.
“It’s a way to honor LGBTQA graduates separate from the larger commencement and to celebrate within the community,” Keleher said. “It’s a very simple ceremony, but I think that sometimes that can be the best.”
The ceremony will begin at 7 p.m. April 18 in the Horizon Room of the Idaho Commons. Keleher said the event is free and open to the public, and after the ceremony there will be a reception with food and refreshments.
She said the LGBTQA Office provides each graduate with a rainbow tassel and a special certificate. Keleher reads out each of the students’ accomplishments at the ceremony as well.
“All of the topics I usually talk about are sad. We talk about suicide or mental health statistics, you know the negative aspects of the community, so it’s very rare, besides National Coming Out Day, that we get to celebrate,” Keleher said. “I just love reading their achievements and I get a surge of pride when I see all the things that they’ve done while at UI.”
Keleher said this year’s keynote speaker will be Kathy Sprague, owner of Safari Pearl Comics in Moscow and long-time LGBT advocate.
She said the ceremony is a great example of the impact her office and UI’s LGBT community has on the graduates during their time at the university. Often times, the graduates are familiar faces within UI’s LGBT community, but sometimes the ceremony will be the first time Keleher meets a student, she said.
“We have students who maybe haven’t been the most involved during their time here, but they still are graduating and want to be part of the ceremony,” Keleher said.
Keleher said Lavender Graduation is important for LGBT students because being a part of a diversity group on campus can be overwhelming. She said students are especially encouraged when they see all of the UI faculty and staff in the audience, along with friends and family, cheering them on.
“It can feel kind of daunting, being an LGBTQA student on campus, and it can be hard to make it through, and so it’s nice to see that support and it’s important to have that special recognition,” Keleher said.
Olivia Heersink can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @heersinkolivia