Lavender Graduation Sends Off Class of 2016's GLBT and Ally Grads

Belltower with NC flag on right

NC State Belltower, Fall 2010

Lavender Graduation 2016Lavender Graduation took place on Tuesday, April 19, 2016 in Talley Student Union. Speakers Amy Circosta, Interim Vice Provost for Institutional Equity and Diversity, Ian Pike, a current student, and NC State staff member Brian Mathis, associate director in the Center for Leadership, Ethics and Public Service, celebrated, honored and inspired.

Quotables

Renee Wells, director, GLBT Center: “Lavender Graduation provides an opportunity for the GLBT community and our allies to come together to celebrate and support our community. This year, it felt especially important to have this time together, given that the community has been dealing with the impact of HB2 over the last few weeks. The event allowed us space to process that together, to express our collective gratefulness for the recent decision by the federal fourth circuit in support of transgender students’ rights and to celebrate the amazing accomplishments and contributions of our graduating students to the NC State campus community. I am thankful that we were able to provide a space for all of those things to happen for each of us individually and for all of us collectively.”

Amy Circosta, interim vice provost for institutional equity and diversity: “The GLBT Center worked very hard on Lavender Graduation and it showed. The speakers were exceptional and their messages really resonated with the graduates, family and friends in the room. Congratulations to our graduates!”

Justine Hollingshead, chief of staff, Division of Academic and Student Affairs and former director, GLBT Center: “I am honored to be a member of the GLBT community at NC State, and even more proud of our GLBT Center and students.”