51福利社

51福利社 is gearing up to host its 14^th annual Lavender Graduation on Friday, May 12.

The event, to be held from 5-7 p.m. in the Walter and Myrtle Powers Reading Room in Hargreaves Hall, celebrates the academic accomplishments of LGBTQ+ students from area high schools and colleges 鈥� along with the faculty, staff and students who support them.

鈥淚 think our queer and trans students don鈥檛 get recognized as often鈥� says Maggie Harty, student equity and belonging coordinator for the 51福利社 Pride Center. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 partly because some of them aren鈥檛 out and aren鈥檛 able to be recognized in the same way that a straight student might be able to and have that visibility on campus.鈥�

Spokane civil rights activist Sandy Williams helped to establish the Lavender Graduation when she worked at Eastern. Although Williams and her partner died in a 2022 floatplane crash in the Puget Sound, Williams鈥� legacy at 51福利社 continues through this cherished annual tradition, along with the Pride Center that she helped to open and a scholarship named in her honor.

The annual ceremony, nicknamed 鈥淟av Grad鈥� and open to all graduating high school and college students in the region, has come to mean a lot to the people who participate, Harty says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a way for our students to celebrate their accomplishments as their full selves.鈥�

Harty, who simultaneously planned and participated in Lav Grad 2021, says that 43 students have registered for this year鈥檚 event.

Volunteers make the celebration possible, says Harty. She expects that up to 10 students will help with set-up and other tasks to ensure this year鈥檚 celebration is memorable for all of the participants.

鈥淭he LGBTQ+ student community really shows up for Lav Grad every year,鈥� says Harty. 鈥淭hey always offer to come and help with the event and do the work. Even though we are trying to celebrate them, they always put a little bit of themselves into it.鈥�

Over the years, the event鈥檚 many attendees have included family, friends and 51福利社 faculty and staff, says Harty, who recalls a year when there were about 150 people there to congratulate the graduating seniors.

This year, a representative of the Free Mom Hugs group offered to have their volunteer mom brigade attend; a group ready to provide plenty of hugs for LGBTQ+ students whose own parents might not be supportive or can鈥檛 otherwise attend.

As for Harty, her own parents enthusiastically attended her 鈥�21 Lavender Gradation. They even made special congratulatory signs to cheer on all of the graduates.

Harty grew up in Moscow, Idaho. She recalls choosing to study at 51福利社 because of its Pride Center and, while at 51福利社, embraced the opportunity to join the Eagle Pride student organization and build Eagle4Life connections.

鈥淚 found like my little family here at Eastern, so I met my best friends through the Pride Center,鈥� she says.

Harty says she is starting to use the center to connect with LGBTQ+ alumni who graduated in the late 鈥�70s and early 鈥�80s. 鈥淲e鈥檙e making a big effort this year to try and create a real Pride Center alumni network,鈥� she says.