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WWW JU STOUT COM
MAY 21. 2010
NORTHWEST NEWS
Getting Schooled in Pride
Portland State University's Lavender Graduation caps off a
week of celebration for LGBTQ students
BY JONANNA WIDNER
í>15 V a l u e D i s c o u n i
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Queer college students and their allies face
an interesting climate.
O n the one hand, their generation is fortu
nate. Times have changed, and the acceptance
o f the LGBTQ_community has grown since
earlier decades.
O n the other, the state of queer acceptance
is far from perfect. Overt aggression toward
the community is still common, and even
when it’s somewhat veiled, a quiet homopho
bia reigns, including on college campuses.
Enter Portland States Second Annual
Lavender Graduation.
The concept o f a Lavender Graduation,
which takes place Friday, May 28, is in some
respects a simple one— a special ceremony,
meant to parallel the university’s commence
ment, to celebrate the accomplishments o f
PSU’s LGBTQ_community, its allies, friends
and family. But it’s also a way to acknowledge
a community still often swept under the rug,
even if this marginalization is subtle.
“I would describe [Lavender Graduation]
as a place for queer students to
be recognized for the con
tributions they make to the
community,” explains Casey
*
Payseno, development co
ordinator at PSU’s Queer
Resource Center, which
is responsible for the
event, “and to have
a specific venue to
have a final celebra
tion o f the year as we part
ways and reminisce about our
time at PSU.”
The Lavender Graduation is the culmi
nation o f PSU ’s Pride Week schedule.
Graduating senior Alyssa Bostain co
ordinated many o f the week’s events. She
says that despite PSU ’s generally supportive
environment— fostered by faculty, staff and
students— Lavender Graduation is needed:
“I truly feel all the queer students are such
an invisible minority. [Lavender G radu
ation] is a chance to say, ‘W e’re not scary
people. W e’re just here and we’re proud.’ I t’s
just a big celebration o f acceptance.”
The Lavender Graduation promises to be
“more intim ate” than campus-wide ceremo
nies, according to Payseno. There are no ticket
requirements, and friends and family— along
with students, staff and faculty— are encour
aged to attend. “I t’s targeted to be like a
traditional ceremony, but with the emphasis
on queer students,” Payseno says.
For students like Bostain, the purpose
o f Lavender Graduation melds well with
PSU ’s philosophy.
“One o f PSU ’s four main educational
goals for University Studies students is to
understand the diversity o f the hum an ex
perience,” she says. “That’s really hit home
with me during my experience working
with the Q R C .”
Payseno will give the opening address,
"I w ould describe [Lavender
G raduation] as a p la ce for
queer students to be re co g
nized for the contributions th e /
m ake to the com m unit/."
Stubblefield
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-C ASEY PAYSENO.
development coordinator.
PSU Queer Resource Center