Utah Universities Canceled Lavender Graduation. LGBTQ+ Grads Held It Anyway.
When Utah universities canceled their “Lavender Graduation” ceremonies due to new legislation, the LGBTQ+ community rallied together to host their own celebration.
In a powerful display of community resilience, Utah’s LGBTQ+ community came together on April 26, 2025 to hold a “Lavender Graduation” ceremony at the First Baptist Church of Salt Lake City. The ceremony was created out of necessity after several Utah universities, including the University of Utah and Salt Lake Community College, canceled their “Lavender Graduation” events. These cancellations came in response to legislation (HB 261) that has made it more difficult for institutions to hold events centered around specific identities. “Lavender Graduation,” a national tradition that began in 1995 at the University of Michigan, is meant to honor LGBTQ+ students and allies by providing them a platform to celebrate their achievements in an affirming environment. Students traditionally receive lavender stoles, a symbol of pride and resilience within the LGBTQ+ community. But in Utah, where recent legislative changes have made these celebrations more contentious, many students were left without that space.
Project Rainbow Utah, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering the LGBTQ+ community, stepped in when the universities could no longer provide that space. The decision to host “Lavender Graduation” at First Baptist Church was an intentional act of solidarity. The ceremony was a gathering of people from different campuses coming together to be seen for who they are. Lavender stoles were handed out alongside garden flags, a symbol of the resilience that has defined the community for years. It was clear that while the institutions may have failed them, the community would not be silenced.
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“Lavender Graduation is not just a tradition—it’s a lifeline,” said Leela Henderson, a member of Project Rainbow Utah. “We couldn’t let these students graduate without being acknowledged for who they are, so we made sure it happened. This is a moment of celebration, not just for their accomplishments, but for their identities.”
Across the country, similar challenges have played out at the University of Louisville and the University of South Florida, where “Lavender Graduations” were either canceled or reworked to comply with new anti-DEI laws. At UofL, the ceremony was cancelled, with administrators offering rainbow cords to all students instead. At USF, organizers renamed the “Lavender Ceremony” the “Lavender Gala” to bypass restrictions, keeping the spirit of the event, even though the whole event was forced to change. In every case, the message has been the same-when institutions back away, the LGBTQ+ community steps up, refusing to let spaces for celebration and recognition disappear.
In Utah, Project Rainbow Lavender Graduation wasn’t just a substitute for canceled ceremonies—it was a reminder that when the world tries to erase or silence a community, the community will always find a way to stand, be counted, and celebrate what it has built together. The event was more than a ceremony. It was a promise that no matter what happens, the LGBTQ+ community will continue to hold each other up.
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