The City College of New York (CCNY) in Manhattan is set to host its third annual “Lavender Graduation” for students who identify as “LGBTQIA+” later this month.
“Lavender Graduation is an annual ceremony conducted on numerous campuses to honor lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, asexual, intersex, questioning, and ally students and to acknowledge their achievements and contributions to the University,” the CCNY website states.
“Through such recognition, LGBTQ+ students may leave the university with a positive last experience of the institution thereby encouraging them to become involved mentors for current students, as well as contributing alumni,” the event’s description page says.
“Lavender Graduation is an event to which LGBTQ+ students share their hopes and dreams with one another, and are officially recognized by the institution for their leadership and their successes and achievements.”
The Lavender Graduation will be co-organized by LaGuardia Community College, which it also did last year.
The event is also backed by the New York City Council LGBTQIA Caucus.
The speaker of last year’s ceremony was Cecilia Gentili, a “transgender woman” who has worked as a “sex worker” and lived “undocumented for 10 years” upon coming to the U.S., according to his profile on the Trans Equity Consulting website, which he founded.