GVSU Lavender Graduation honors LGBTQ Students

(Colette Seguin Beighley and Joi Dupler contributed to this article.)

Yesterday, the LGBT Resource Center at Grand Valley State University hosted their fifth Lavender Graduation.

Lavender Graduation builds on the university-wide commencement events as an officially supported ceremony celebrating the academic accomplishments of our graduates. This year’s event featured the largest number of Lavender Graduates to date (31) which included not only members of the LGBTQ communities but also student allies who realize that their own experience of being fully human is deeply tied to the liberation of their lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer brothers and sisters.

In the spirit of Audre Lorde who said, “It is not our differences that divide us. It is our inability to recognize, accept, and celebrate those differences,” Lavender Graduation celebrates the beautiful diversity of campus LGBTQ communities.

Opening remarks were offered by University President Thomas J. Haas. This year’s Lavender Graduation featured the first keynote address from one of Grand Valley’s graduating seniors, Joi Dupler. Joi is a Women’s and Gender Studies major and a McNair scholar as well as a member of S.A.F.E. (Students Advocating Freedom and Equality), Pipeline LGBT Leadership group, Gender Neutral Housing Coalition, and a participant in “Change U: Training for Social Justice.” Here is an excerpt from Joi’s speech:

“It was from my work with the Gender Neutral Housing (GNH) Coalition, that I truly understood Audre Lorde’s words of wisdom. Within the past few years, I have heard many personal accounts from LGBT students struggling to find safe and comfortable housing at Grand Valley. Their painful stories struck at the core of my heart. In the fall semester of 2009, a straight-A student and active student leader named Randy decided to finally come out to his roommates as a gay man. They reacted with hostility and disgust, forcing Randy back to his place of silence and shame. As the semester progressed, they played “little tricks” on Randy to embarrass him, and gave him nicknames like “Faggo” to belittle him. His only friend that accepted him and treated him with respect was his lesbian female friend named Josie. After Randy disclosed his living situation with Josie, she offered to let Randy transfer to her Secchia on-campus apartment in the winter semester. Together, they approached GVSU staff to ask for an exception, but were told the best option may be to move off-campus– even through research shows students do better academically and socially by participating in an on-campus living experience. Moving off-campus wasn’t an option for Josie and Randy. Instead, Randy moved into a single-unit, and soon slipped into a deep depression that took a toll on his grades and his social life. He went from being a straight A student and active student leader, to being on academic probation and completely uninvolved.

 Although I have been living off-campus for a while, I couldn’t help but to feel it was my responsibility to prevent another experience like this from occurring at GVSU. Apparently, many of my Coalition comrades shared my sentiments, since they too live off-campus. Regardless of whether we directly benefit from establishing GNH at Grand Valley, we still recognize the need, and will not stop fighting until we have it. Today, I hope that you will take the next step of actualizing inclusion at GVSU by adopting a GNH option, because you recognize that the place that you sleep should be the LAST place you should have to educate others around difference. – you should feel safe.”

The Milton Ford Leadership Award was presented to Wendy Wenner, Dean of Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies, for her leadership in securing Household Member Benefits as well as her instrumental role in the establishment of an LGBT Resource Center on campus.

The LGBT Faculty and Staff Association presented this year’s Prism Award to President Thomas J. Haas, Vice President of Inclusion and Equity Jeanne Arnold, and Director of Benefits David D. Smith for their roles in bringing Household Member Benefits to campus.

Each of the thirty-one Lavender Graduates was then recognized by name and major as he or she received a rainbow tassel. Following that ceremony, graduates were challenged to use their education in service to others – others who could never dream of having the opportunities these students have experienced at Grand Valley.