The Q Center recognized the achievements of graduating LGBTQ+ students this past Friday with its ninth-annual Lavender Celebration. Held in Old Union Hall this past Friday, the celebration featured awards and rainbow cording ceremonies.
Administrators, directors, professors and students gave remarks at the event. Attendees served themselves food from a buffet — house salad, macaroni salad, marinated chicken, stuffed peppers with black beans and rice and potatoes — and situated themselves at their tables.
Nick Martin, associate director of the Q Center; Leonel Diaz Jr., the center’s director for intercultural affairs; and Matthew Winston Jr., executive director for alumni engagement, gave opening remarks.
“Please, going forward, continue to gather in these types of spaces,” Martin said during the welcome address. “Continue to create these types of spaces. Because this is a two-hour celebration, but for you, going forward, you can continue to create these spaces for others that need these spaces.”
“That goes for everybody — if you’re graduating, if you’re here for another couple years, continue to create these spaces, because we need them now more than ever,” he continued.
Each table was adorned with a purple tablecloth, a centerpiece of lavender flowers and pouches of dried lavender for attendees to take home. Eddie Stakelum, a second-year master’s student studying student affairs administration and an LGBTQ+ Living Community graduate assistant, gave the graduate address. He shared his journey as a queer individual from high school to college and the importance of finding a community.
“Institutions of higher education and spaces like the Q Center and the LGBTQ Living Community are super important because it allows for people to find themselves,” Stakelum said. “The world can oftentimes feel very scary and overwhelming, but by knowing who you are and having people around you that will love and support you — that will help you weather the storm.”
Jade Doswell, assistant director for diversity, equity and inclusion for Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science, gave the keynote address. She shared her story as a lesbian who was raised Southern Baptist and a preacher’s child, and expressed the importance of staying true to yourself, regardless of what other people say or how current legislation affects the LGBTQ+ community.
A unique aspect of Lavender Celebration is the Pride Awards, where graduating students and faculty members are nominated based on their contributions to the University’s queer community. The awards included the OUTstanding Grad Award; Activism Award; “Sunshine” Award; Community Service Award; and Faculty/Staff Advocacy in Action Award. One award was given to a nominee from each category, along with a trophy.
Emily Leighton, president of Out in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and a senior majoring in mathematics, received the “Sunshine” Award. Sharing her excitement at receiving the award, she stressed the significance of the celebration and the work of LGBTQ+ individuals.
“It’s honestly so important that we’re still here and we’re still fighting for everything,” Leighton said. “Every day, every second that we are truly ourselves is honestly so important, and is just a good old honest fight for our lives. Just being me, using different pronouns and being in a space with them — it’s honestly so important that people like me continue to do the work that they are doing in this community.”
Following the Pride Awards was the graduate cording procession. Each graduate was announced and invited to the stage, where they received a rainbow cord to wear at their commencement ceremonies in May. Jason Tran, a graduate at the ceremony and a third-year master’s student studying public administration and social work, said it was important to uphold LGBTQ+ spaces.
“Sometimes being queer is kind of difficult with our current administration and everything,” Tran said. “And just being in a space with everyone, to actually celebrate our own identities but also our accomplishments, is so needed on this campus.”