LGBT Resource Center celebrates 30-year anniversary and Lavender Graduation

Lavender Graduation, celebrated at colleges and universities across the country, honors the achievements of LGBTQ+ graduates. At Cornell, graduating undergraduate, graduate and professional students are invited to attend and bring guests.

This year’s event, with more than 80 graduates participating, happened on Thursday, May 1, in Biotech G10. The event included student, alumni and staff speakers, two video showings, award presentations, and moments to recognize grads as well as their guests.

Tina Coyne, interim associate dean and director of the LGBT Resource Center kicked off the night. “These events provide a sense of community for historically marginalized students,” Coyne said. “For many students, they are the payoff for staying in school and persisting - despite the many barriers and challenges they have faced along the way.”

A highlight of the celebration was the Significant Supporter Ceremony; a moment for students to thank those who had a significant impact on their journey toward graduation. The student and their supporter came on stage for the student to read a statement of gratitude and present them with a rose. Students chose a wide array of people to honor including friends, family, partners, faculty, and staff.

Marla Love, The Robert W. and Elizabeth C. Staley Dean of Students, introduced this heartwarming portion of the night and commented on her love for the yearly event. “Lavender Graduation is unlike any other ceremony,” Love said. “It is bold and unapologetic. It’s a space where love is expressed freely and fiercely. It’s a celebration of queer identities, without hesitation, even during a time when many in this country seek to silence, erase, shame, or control those identities.”

Three Lavender Graduation Awards were presented to recognize community members who made and continue to make significant contributions to Cornell and LGBTQ+ inclusion:

• Angel R. Hierro Lambda Award: Jay Sobers, student staff member at LGBTRC and president of Pole Posse
• Coalition Building & Community Activism Award: Mansi Jani, president of International Planning Student Organization
• University Support Award: Cat Lambert, assistant professor in the Classics Department (A&S)

Before moving on to the reception portion of the evening, each student was called to the stage and gifted a lavender cord, rainbow tassel and certificate from the Resource Center as recognition for the courage, strength, and resiliency it took to persevere at Cornell and in the world.  

“To all the graduates that we honor tonight, and to those who have served their communities as dedicated student organizers, activists, and Resource Center staff during your time here – thank you for all that you have done for each other and for Cornell,” Coyne said. “By being here and by being yourself, you have forever contributed to the persistence and resistance that our community (and the Resource Center) were built upon.”

This year’s Lavender Graduation at Cornell was more than just an end-of-year party—it wrapped up a year of celebrating the 30-year anniversary of the LGBT Resource Center. The LGBTRC, located on campus at 626 Thurston Ave., Provides LGBTQ+ resources and educational materials in addition to hosting programming, workshops and community events open to LGBTQ+ students and allies. It is one of the eight offices that make up the Centers for Student Equity, Empowerment and Belonging; within the Office of the Dean of Students.

The 30th anniversary kickoff event was held on Oct. 5 and featured keynote speaker Angelica Ross, a Black transgender woman, actress and activist, best known for her roles in Pose and American Horror Story: 1984.

They celebrated National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11, on Ho Plaza, and distributed a variety of identity flags, hosted Touchdown in a LBGTRC shirt, and set up a photo background to make the occasion special.

They also hosted a Name Change Clinic on Nov. 8 with the Volunteer Lawyers Project of CNY and a collaborated on the Trans Day of Remembrance Vigil on Nov. 20 with the Ithaca Pride Alliance and Ithaca College.

While the Center was officially established in 1994, students have been gathering to support the LGBTQ+ community for much longer than that (The Cornell Gay People's Center at Cornell opened in 1972!) and will continue for years to come.

“As the national climate becomes increasingly hostile for LGBTQ+ people, specifically for our trans and gender-expansive communities, we will work to ensure that the LGBT Resource Center will continue to be a safe and supportive space for students,” Coyne said. 

“As we provide more tailored supports to meet student needs, we hope to increase the visibility of our offerings to bridge community and campus supports. Our goal is to make sure that they know that they are incredible, vibrant, and valued members of our community and that they cannot be erased.”

Want to learn more about the history of the LGBT Resource Center, and the ways that students engage with it today? Watch the video below!