Salve Regina to hold Lavender Graduation in honor of LGBTQ+ seniors

Salve Regina is holding a Lavender Graduation in honor of its LGBTQ+ students in the Class of 2023. The graduation ceremony will be held on Sunday, May 7, from 1-2 p.m. in Ochre Court. Following the ceremony, there will be a reception with refreshments from 2-3 p.m. Anyone in the Salve Regina community is invited to attend.

A Lavender Graduation is a tradition that originated at the University of Michigan, but it became a national movement to celebrate the queer community, their allies and collegiate success.

Salve Regina’s ceremony will be kicked off by a performance by Aquidneck Island’s first and only all-queer chorus called Quorus, a pilot program of the Choral Collective of Newport County.

During the reception, inaugural Lavender Awards will be given to one student, faculty and staff who demonstrated outstanding allyship and advocacy during the 2022-23 academic year.

Each graduating student honored will be gifted a lavender stole to wear during Commencement.

Throughout the school year, Salve Regina’s LGBTQ+ Center works closely with Alliance, Salve Regina’s club for the LGBTQ+ community. Together, they provide many events and resources for students in the LGBTQ+ community, as well as resources to help allies create a more safe and supportive space on campus.

The Lavender Graduation is a natural way to extend support to graduating LGBTQ+ seniors, and the LGBTQ+ Center and Alliance hope that Salve Regina community members will come support the LGBTQ+ seniors on Sunday.

For questions, please contact salvepride@salve.edu.