Lavender Graduation

Lavender Graduation is an annual ceremony conducted on numerous campuses to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual, intersex, questioning, and ally students and to acknowledge their achievements and contributions to the University. The Lavender Graduation Ceremony was created by Dr. Ronni Sanlo at the University of Michigan in 1995.  Today, there are thousands of Lavender Graduation Ceremonies at Colleges and Universities nationwide.  Graduating students, including undergraduates and graduates, are invited to take part in the celebration.  Stay tuned for more information on how to participate in CCNY's first lavender graduation.  If you have any questions, please contact lgbtq@ccny.cuny.edu

Lavender Graduation is a cultural celebration that recognizes LGBTQ+ students and acknowledges their achievements and contributions to the university. Through such recognition, LGBTQ+ students may leave the university with a positive last experience of the institution thereby encouraging them to become involved mentors for current students, as well as contributing alumni.

Lavender Graduation is an event to which LGBTQ+ students share their hopes and dreams with one another, and are officially recognized by the institution for their leadership and their successes and achievements.

Lavender isn't just an official CCNY school color (go Beavers!). Lavender is important to LGBTQ+ history! It is a color 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 LGBTQ+ civil rights movement took these symbols of hatred and combined them to make symbols and color of pride and community. 

Yes. Because the Main Commencement Book is an unofficial document, you can have your chosen name listed. You do not need to provide any legal documentation to request this change.

To change your name in the Main Commencement Book, please email lgbtq@ccny.cuny.edu to get a "Commencement Book Name Adjustment Request Form". Please email this completed form to Joann Huang ( jhuang3@ccny.cuny.edu ), Hermington Gomez ( hgomez@ccny.cuny.edu ), and Dion Dennis ( ddennis1@ccny.cuny.edu ). Please also 'cc Ana King-Garcia ( akinggarcia@ccny.cuny.edu ), Jasmin Salcedo ( jsalcedo@ccny.cuny.edu ), Simone Tarver ( smcmillion@ccny.cuny.edu ), and the CCNY Office of the Registrar ( registrar@ccny.cuny.edu ).

The deadline to submit this form for the 2023-2024 Academic Year is Firday, April 19th. As a reminder, the deadline to apply for Spring graduation is February 23rd.

Yes.

To change your name in the Main Commencement Book, please email lgbtq@ccny.cuny.edu to get a "Commencement Book Name Opt Out Form". Please email this completed form to Joann Huang ( jhuang3@ccny.cuny.edu ), Hermington Gomez ( hgomez@ccny.cuny.edu ), and Dion Dennis ( ddennis1@ccny.cuny.edu ). Please also 'cc Ana King-Garcia ( akinggarcia@ccny.cuny.edu ), Jasmin Salcedo ( jsalcedo@ccny.cuny.edu ), Simone Tarver ( smcmillion@ccny.cuny.edu ), and the CCNY Office of the Registrar ( registrar@ccny.cuny.edu ).

The deadline to submit this form for the 2023-2024 Academic Year is Firday, April 19th. As a reminder, the deadline to apply for Spring graduation is February 23rd.