The Charger Blog

University of New Haven Celebrates Class of 2021 at Inaugural Lavender Graduation

Honoring graduating members of the UniversityӰԭs LGBTQ+ community and celebrating their accomplishments as Chargers, the UniversityӰԭs first Lavender Graduation marked the start of a new tradition.

May 24, 2021

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

Stage
The Lavender Ceremony honored graduating members of the UniversityӰԭs LGBTQ+ community.

Throughout his time at the University of New Haven, Daniel Stott Ӱԭ21 was an active member of the UniversityӰԭs LGBTQ+ community. Dedicated to fostering inclusion and a sense of belonging for everyone in the University community, he served as a source of support to his fellow Chargers.

A student ambassador in the UniversityӰԭs Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) program and a member of the UniversityӰԭs executive board, Stott recently spoke to his fellow graduates as part of the UniversityӰԭs inaugural Lavender Graduation. The event honored graduating LGBTQ+ students and celebrated their achievements.

ӰԭSomewhere along the way, a spark lit in me,Ӱԭ said Stott, who earned degrees in criminal justice and national security. ӰԭI began to realize my purpose and to be a model for queer success and confidence. It helped me to be visible for those who couldnӰԭt.Ӱԭ

ӰԭContinue to live your authentic livesӰԭ

As part of the ceremony, , an associate justice of the , shared his own story. He told students that, when he was in college, there were no LGBTQ+ groups to offer support or a sense of belonging. He said that, as a closeted gay man, when he was in law school, he did not know if he would have a future in the field since there were no judges who were out at that time.

Justice Andrew McDonald
Justice Andrew McDonald spoke to students as part of the UniversityӰԭs inaugural Lavender Ceremony.

Justice McDonald kept his sexual identity a secret when he started his career. He went on to become a partner in a law firm, and, eventually, the first openly gay member of ConnecticutӰԭs highest court. He looked back on the challenging legislative fight for marriage equality in Connecticut. He says that, although there has been significant progress, there is much more work to be done.

ӰԭIt was through those battles that society began to change,Ӱԭ he explained. ӰԭBecause of advocacy and hard work, societyӰԭs approval has grown. A lot of what we take for granted today is because of long-fought battles. Continue to live your authentic lives, and I have no doubt that progress will continue."

ӰԭThis event really shows the power of community and of gatheringӰԭ

, commissioner for the , also joined the program to reflect on the progress that has been made. She credited Justice McDonald and Mike Lawlor, J.D., an associate professor of criminal justice at the University and a former member of the who led the push for legislation that made Connecticut the second state in the country to pass a law allowing same-sex couples to enter into civil unions.

Beth Bye
Commissioner Beth Bye delivered her remarks virtually.

Discussing the importance of sharing oneӰԭs story, Commissioner Bye shared her own with students. She and her wife were the first gay couple to be married in Connecticut, and she says that sharing her story has been healing. She encouraged students to think about their own stories.

ӰԭThis event really shows the power of community and of gathering,Ӱԭ said Commissioner Bye, who spoke to students virtually. ӰԭIt gives you a sense of belonging, which is so important. That sense of being ӰԭotherӰԭ is so powerful, and it can affect us in the classroom and in other activities. Celebrations like this, where youӰԭre celebrating exactly who you are, are so important. Your stories matter. You matter.Ӱԭ

ӰԭEach of us has the ability to spread knowledge and kindnessӰԭ

Dylan Kohere Ӱԭ21 also spoke as part of the ceremony. After he was barred from joining the following former President Donald TrumpӰԭs ban on transgender individuals serving in the military, he became a plaintiff in the first lawsuit against the ban.

ӰԭMy community had my back every step of the way,Ӱԭ said Kohere, a criminal justice major. ӰԭWhen I started my time at the University, I didnӰԭt know about intersectionality. My exposure to diverse students gave me a much more holistic view of the world. I have all of you to thank for the person I have grown into. I cannot wait to see the amazing things weӰԭll accomplish in the world.Ӱԭ

In addressing his fellow members of the Class of 2021, Michael Calabrese Ӱԭ21 said that the University community made him Ӱԭfeel loved every day.Ӱԭ He encouraged graduates to continue to make a difference in the world after they leave the University.

ӰԭEach person here possesses the inner strength to create a world that is better and brighter,Ӱԭ said Calabrese, a sport management major. ӰԭAll that we have endured through our entire lives speaks volumes to the strength each of us holds. Each of has the ability to spread knowledge and kindness and to make the world a better place.Ӱԭ

ӰԭYou are uniquely youӰԭ

The ceremony, which was held as a hybrid event with guests attending virtually and in person at the UniversityӰԭs Bucknall Theater, enabled students to celebrate and support each other as a community. Graduates were called to the stage, and Alvin Tran, Sc.D., MPH, a public health professor and the UniversityӰԭs assistant provost for diversity, equity, and inclusion, presented them with lavender cords they wore on Commencement Day.

Alvin Tran
Alvin Tran, Sc.D., MPH, presented cords to graduates.

The Lavender Graduation marks the start of a new University tradition, and it will be held every year to honor graduating members of the UniversityӰԭs LGBTQ+ community.

ӰԭThe students we celebrate this evening have accomplished so much, and their achievements are only surpassed by the limitless potential and the passion they have to make their mark on the world as agents of change and advocates for others,Ӱԭ said President Steven H. Kaplan, Ph.D.

In her concluding remarks, Carrie Robinson, director of the UniversityӰԭs Myatt Center for Diversity and Inclusion, urged students to celebrate everything they have overcome to reach this point in their lives. She acknowledged that their journey hasnӰԭt been easy, but she urged them to celebrate who they are and to share that with the world.

ӰԭNow you get to make a more just and equitable world,Ӱԭ she said. ӰԭWe see things as we make them. The gift of our queerness is that we can redefine what it means to be essential in America. Make your queerness essential to your lives. DonӰԭt diminish your queerness. DonӰԭt diminish yourselves. You are uniquely you.Ӱԭ