Lavender Graduation celebrates Highline LGBTQ students

Highline College hosted the second annual Lavender Graduation on June 11 at The Hub: Federal Way Higher Education Center, located at 1615 S. 325th St.

A Lavender Graduation is a celebration of LGBTQ student graduates, first created by Dr. Ronni Sanlo in 1995 after she was stopped from attending her own children’s graduations because of her identity as a lesbian, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

The Highline event was put on by the school’s LGBTQIA Task Force and included recognition of graduates, a keynote speech by Sen. Claire Wilson (D-District 30) and multiple opportunities for creative expression and celebration.

The event is not just a celebration, said Dr. Jamilyn Penn, Vice President for Student Services.

“It’s more of a declaration…that your voice, your identity and your presence matters, that you belong and that your success is not a solitary act,” Penn said. “It is a culmination of courage, community and unwavering determination.”

That community was very present at the graduation, with supportive faculty, parents, friends and school leaders present. Highline College is rebuilding resources for LGBTQ students which now include the Highline College Q Center, described as “safe space to be yourself,” and the Queer and Allies (Q&A) Club which is a “space for folx of all sexualities and gender identities to meet, socialize, learn together, and thrive in a safe space.”

Several graduates talked about how these resources have helped them thrive and find belonging through both their sexual orientation and gender identity, but also in other aspects of their identity, like their race and neurodivergence.

Graduate Duncan Dao shared that he stepped into a leadership role because without a leader, the Q & A club would have ended. The club was an important refuge, but at the same time, he struggled with feeling aimless and lost and looking for representation of those would also understand his racial identity as well.

This changed when Dao further developed his leadership by attending the Students of Color Conference where he met some other queer students who also shared some of his other experiences.

“I felt something bloom inside of me, and it was like I finally felt that other people that are fighting for the same mission,” Dao said.

This fueled his drive to bring this sense of community back to his leadership within Highline and beyond.

In her keynote, Wilson spoke about how these types of spaces and education would have helped her when she came out as a lesbian 50 years ago. She also shared how she has balanced how much to disclose her sexual orientation in various leadership roles over the years.

When she was on a school board in 2018, Wilson said she didn’t often mention her sexual orientation, but did advocate for her children to “hear and see themselves reflected in the classroom and the conversation.”

Eventually she did end up sharing her identity more openly because “young people told me how important it was to have role models,” Wilson said.

Wilson also spoke about the importance of comprehensive sex education in helping young people make safe decisions and understand themselves and about the ways she has expanded her mind over the years.

After Wilson spoke, graduates were celebrated and provided the opportunity to share a few words.

Students graduated with AA and AAS degrees with some planning to continue on at Highline to work toward further degrees, with others planning to transfer to a four year college the next year or take a break as they plan the next stage of their career and education.

Each speech highlighted the impact of having supportive community through the Q & A club, Q center or through faculty and curriculum.

Current Q Center student leader Toby English explained the importance of events like the Lavender Graduation, saying “I walk into a room and I recognize there’s no one else like me, especially in STEM. People can feel intimidated…and this is about creating a space for people in education.”

The Hub: Federal Way Higher Education Center is a collaborative partnership among Highline College, the University of Washington Tacoma, the City of Federal Way, and Federal Way Public Schools. Their mission is to empower learners of all cultures, identities, and abilities to achieve their educational goals in a supportive, community-driven environment.

Alicia Derra shares some celebrations of friend and graduate Toby English. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

Club Program Leadership Advisor Cassie Geraghty celebrates the graduates at the Lavender Graduation. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

Graduates, faculty, parents and friends cheer for graduates at the Lavender Graduation put on by the Highline LGBTQIA Task Force. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror

Graduate Duncan shares inspiration and reflections on his time as a leader of the Q & A club at Highline College. Photo by Keelin Everly-Lang / the Mirror