Lavender Graduation is an annual ceremony taking place on multiple campuses across the nation to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and ally students and to acknowledge their achievements and contributions to the University.
The first Lavender Graduation took place at the University of Michigan in 1995, with three graduates. By 2001, there were over 45 Lavender Graduation Ceremonies at Colleges and Universities nationwide, and the number continues to grow. The University of Arizona Health Sciences is honored to continue this tradition for our LGBTQ+ community, and welcomes all graduates, undergraduates, alumni, faculty, staff, and allies to join our celebration by registering above.
The Lavender Graduation Ceremony was created by Dr. Ronni Sanlo, a Jewish Lesbian, who was denied the opportunity to attend the graduations of her biological children because of her sexual orientation. It was through this experience that she came to understand the pain felt by her students.
Dr. Russell (Russ) B. Tommey, Ph.D
Dr. Russ Toomey is Program Chair and Professor of Family Studies and Human Development at the University of Arizona. He conducts research on the processes by which sexual and gender minority youth thrive and are resilient despite the oppressive barriers and challenges they encounter in society. His research identifies both the individual-level mechanisms (e.g., coping, activism) and systems-level policies (e.g., inclusive school policies) that reduce the impacts of discrimination and contribute to optimal health, well-being, and educational outcomes. At the University of Arizona, he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on adolescent development, human sexuality, and advanced graduate-level applied statistics. He serves on the Executive Council for the Society for Research on Adolescence and as an Associate Editor for the American Educational Research Journal.