Virginia State University becomes First Virginia HBCU to host Lavender Graduation

Campus Pride is proud to have Campus Pride staff, Camp Pride alum and Advisor Bootcamp alum involved in the first Lavender Graduation program by an historically Black university in Virginia!

Pictured left to right: Randa Darwood, Christian Brown, Mishawn Glover, Keesha Anderson, Christal Bacon

Christal Bacon, who attended the Camp Pride, the nation’s premiere LGBTQ leadership academy for undergraduate LGBTQ and ally students, and Chevelle Moss-Savage, who attended Advisor Bootcamp, the LGBTQ professional academy for advisors, were instrumental in creating this program for Virginia State University (VSU). Ted Lewis, Campus Pride special projects and outreach coordinator and associate director of LGBTQ Campus Life at the University of Richmond, was a featured speaker at the ceremony.

The ceremony recognized five students and had an audience of over 50 people, highlighting VSU’s efforts toward a more LGBTQ-inclusive campus. The graduation ceremony was created due to the efforts of VSU’s LGBTQIA Advisory Council and Council Chair Moss-Savage.

Campus Pride supports Lavender Graduation ceremonies as a way for LGBTQ students to celebrate all their accomplishments throughout their school careers. If you would like to start or improve your school’s Lavender Graduation ceremony, visit this resource or contact Campus Pride at (704) 277-6710 or at info@campuspride.org.

Allison Marie Turner is an alumnus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she studied journalism and mass communication and women’s and gender studies. She is a 2015 Summer Fellow for Campus Pride. Follow her on Twitter @amturner1993.