VCU news

By Cassie Williams Jones

“Follow your dreams.” “Embrace who you are.” “Be passionate about your work.” “Take advantage of the excellent education you’ve received.”

These sound like typical remarks from a speaker at a college graduation.

But typical is not what VCU’s Lavender Graduation was, as proven in the remarks to follow: “Be out.” “Be proud.” “Be loud.” “Let your voices be heard.”

These words were spoken by Chris Woleben, M.D., assistant professor of pediatric emergency medicine at VCU, and 1997 graduate and now associate dean of student affairs in the VCU School of Medicine, in an address on Friday to approximately 20 graduating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex seniors.

The VCU Office of Diversity’s LGBT Subcommittee of the University Equity and Diversity Committee presented the inaugural VCU Lavender Graduation, a special graduation ceremony that honors the achievements of graduating gender and sexual minority students on campus. With participation from the Office of the Provost and the VCU and MCV Alumni Associations, the subcommittee’s planning team presented 20 LGBT graduating seniors with rainbow cords to wear with their academic regalia at the university’s official commencement activities in May.

More than 100 friends, family members and allies of the seniors filled VCU’s Scott House to show their support at the special celebration.

Speaking to the graduates, Beverly Warren, Ed.D., Ph.D., provost and vice president of academic affairs, mimicked the sentiments in the room of enthusiasm, as well as reverence, with her words of advice.

“It is indeed quite exciting for us to share in the very first Lavender Graduation,” she said. “You have demonstrated the courage to acknowledge who you are, and as the first class of VCU Lavender Graduation graduates, you will always be known as the torch-bearers of change. You only have one life to live, so make it uniquely yours.”

The atmosphere was indeed celebratory, but emotions also ran high for speakers, graduates and attendees alike. Lavender Graduation faculty co-chairs Liz Canfield, assistant professor and undergraduate advisor in the Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women's studies, and Leticia Flores, Ph.D., assistant professor and director of the VCU Center for Psychological Services and Development, shared tearful and heartfelt comments of appreciation and admiration for the students being honored.

“Having a Lavender Graduation shows our community that we care about our LGBTQIA staff, students and faculty here at VCU, and that we want VCU to be a welcoming and open place that encourages diversity and inclusion,” said Canfield. “The support we've received from the VCU community and the larger Richmond community has been affirming and positive. A number of community members came out to support our graduates, and this, in addition to seeing our graduates honored, was what made the event so special.”

Lavender graduation ceremonies began in 1995 on the campus of the University of Michigan and have since expanded to universities around the country. The color lavender is significant to LGBT history and represents a combination of the pink triangle that gay men were forced to wear in concentration camps and the black triangle designating lesbians as political prisoners in Nazi Germany. The LGBT civil rights movement took these symbols of hatred and combined them to make a color of pride and community.

The Lavender Graduation planning committee, which consisted of faculty, staff, students and alumni, began planning the event in the fall 2011 semester.

“It exceeded all of our expectations. We planned for a year, and we were blown away by the large and enthusiastic response,” said Flores. “This was an extremely significant, positive step for our current and future LGBT graduates in their feeling welcomed, valued and acknowledged. Because VCU has publicly embraced them, they can return that embrace and engage more fully in the VCU community.”

“I think it’s a major milestone, not only for Virginia Commonwealth University, but also for the Commonwealth of Virginia,” said Woleben, who is also the faculty advisor for the LGBT student group for medical students, the LGBT Health Collective.

Aaron Gilchrist, 2003 graduate of the School of Mass Communications, news anchor at the NBC Washington D.C. affiliate station and speaker at the Lavender Graduation, concurred.

“VCU has always been a forward-thinking university, and this event just makes sense for VCU. It represents another layer of growth,” he said.

Most importantly, the graduates felt the support and were thrilled for the opportunity the event provided.

“I definitely feel very honored to be recognized by VCU,” said Morgan Krug, a gender, sexuality and women’s studies major and graduating senior who participated in the ceremony. “It’s really wonderful to get to celebrate with so many of my friends and allies.”

The University Equity and Diversity Committee, which is advisory in nature, is charged with monitoring, reviewing and recommending to the provost changes to policies and practices that affect the University’s ability to provide equal opportunity and treatment, and to provide a supportive, non-hostile environment for its diverse populations of students, staff and faculty.