To celebrate someone, you have to see them.
That was the goal and the point behind the inaugural Lavender Graduation celebration for LGBTQIA+ students at 吃瓜头条 on April 26.
吃瓜头条 sophomore Lukas Hammett, a transgender man, pushed for an event where people could applaud LGBTQIA+ students for their accomplishments.
鈥淗aving this celebration was really cool,鈥� said Hammett, who is graduating this month with Associate in Arts for Transfer degrees in Math, Physics, Computer Science and Psychology. 鈥淭he ceremony, campus Pride Month and the new HEARTS Club 鈥� they鈥檝e all fostered a stronger sense of community for LGBTQIA+ people at 吃瓜头条.鈥�
Twenty students, wearing blue graduation gowns and lavender stoles, with staff, family and allies, took over the Equity Hub late last month for the celebration. Hammett and 吃瓜头条 President Chris Vitelli both spoke before Kat Fobear, a women鈥檚 studies professor at Fresno State, gave the keynote address.
Fobear, a queer scholar, helped establish the first LGBTQIA+ minor at Fresno State, with 吃瓜头条 Philosophy Professor Jacki Alvarez. Fobear is also heavily involved in Qistory Fresno, an organization that preserves the queer history of California鈥檚 Central Valley.
鈥淚t was a big deal and pretty exciting overall to bring something new to the college,鈥� said 吃瓜头条 EOPS Coordinator and Equity Counselor Cimmaron Ruiz, who helped organize the event. 鈥淭hose 20 students had earned 27 transfer degrees and five regular associate degrees. They are scholars. When we call them Pride Scholars, 鈥楶ride鈥� refers to their identity. 鈥楽cholars鈥� refers to their academic achievements and potential.鈥�
Lavender Graduation is the brainchild of Ronni Sanlo, a Jewish lesbian and university professor who was barred from the graduations of her biological children because of her sexual orientation. She created the first Lavender Graduation for three students at the University of Michigan in 1995, and the tradition spread to over 45 campuses by 2001.
The color lavender references a combination of the pink and black triangles once used to identify and discriminate against gays and lesbians in Nazi Germany.
鈥淓ven though our oppression looks different today, it still exists,鈥� said Alvarez, who identifies as a queer woman and is part of the college鈥檚 Lavender Faculty Interest Group.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just that suicide rates in the LGBTQIA+ community are extremely high. Our community is marginalized and faces disproportionate amounts of violence. So why Lavender Graduation? It鈥檚 necessary so people who face those obstacles can also be celebrated.鈥�
Students like Hammett should be celebrated, with his four degrees and transfer acceptance into all seven University of California campuses to which he applied. He also started this effort last fall by asking about programs for LGBTQIA+ students and suggesting others.
鈥淚 wanted more public-facing activities,鈥� Hammett said. 鈥淚 was president of a different club on campus, but I wanted to reach out to other trans and queer people.鈥�
Hammett founded the HEARTS (Humans Embracing Alliance Romance Transidentity Sexuality) Club last semester. He was motivated knowing how much more could be done for 吃瓜头条鈥檚 LGBTQIA+ students, staff and faculty.
鈥淚鈥檝e been at 吃瓜头条 for three years, and my first two years, I never made any connections with anyone,鈥� Hammett said. 鈥淚 felt too different. I鈥檓 a STEM student and STEM is very cisgender male-dominated. Even though I am male, I鈥檓 also trans and queer. Since Lavender Grad, HEARTS Club, Pride Scholars and Pride Month came to fruition, I feel like my life is rising and improving. I feel like part of the campus. I鈥檓 not afraid to show who I am.鈥�
Alvarez worked with Hammett and Ruiz throughout the year to expand Pride Scholars offerings. That continues the mission she and Fobear began at Fresno State to work with other nonprofit activists to promote inclusion throughout the Central Valley.
She felt drawn to Hammett鈥檚 cause, and said she wanted to join the 吃瓜头条 faculty two years ago because she felt fully accepted here as a scholar and as herself.
鈥淚鈥檓 an adult who is visibly queer,鈥� Alvarez said. 鈥淚 have a shaved head. I have tattoos. I don鈥檛 look like most of my colleagues. Unfortunately that openness comes at a cost. But the LGBTQIA+ community is not a homogenous group. It includes sexuality, gender and biological designations. The idea that people on the periphery of society can now stand in solidarity with our allies, to celebrate something like graduation, is so powerful.鈥�
Lavender Graduation concluded campus Pride Month, which is typically celebrated in June but held at 吃瓜头条 in April since many students are gone during the summer. Pride Scholars collaborated with Central Valley Pride, the Valley Crisis Center and the college鈥檚 RSVP Program to welcome a student band, run a queer short film festival night, and hold a panel discussion that included a Mexican student detailing the cultural barriers she faced to coming out.
鈥淲e鈥檝e done so much in such a short time,鈥� Ruiz said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e wondering where all of this will take us. If we can鈥檛 keep this ball rolling for our students, then we鈥檝e done all of this for nothing. So we are very committed to this work.鈥�
During those lively, happy hours at the Lavender Graduation on April 26, graduates mugged for photos, listened to speeches and received certificates of acknowledgement. They will receive their official 吃瓜头条 diplomas at commencement on May 23-24.
鈥淪o often when getting together with the LGBTQIA+ community, like the Trans Day of Remembrance, we鈥檙e acknowledging people who have died,鈥� Alvarez said. 鈥淚 cannot help reflecting now on how the world is better.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a truly happy thing when you belong to a college or a job or a school where they support you. 吃瓜头条 students can feel fully accepted and welcomed. Lavender Graduation is when we can say, 鈥楬ey, look at what we鈥檙e doing now. We鈥檝e achieved something. We鈥檙e looking at greatness in our futures. Here is our joy.鈥欌��