Inside Higher Ed: Amid DEI Crackdown, Students Hold Their Own Affinity Graduations

SALT LAKE CITY - Project Rainbow Utah recently hosted Lavender Graduations for LGBTQ+ students after several schools in Utah opted out of hosting the events.

Inside Higher Ed featured the event in their article about the larger nationwide trend. Check out an excerpt from the article below and read the full story here.

“In Utah, meanwhile, an LGBTQ+ community organization called Project Rainbow Utah helped arrange Lavender Graduations for students at the University of Utah, Weber State University and Salt Lake Community College in the wake of cancellations. The University of Utah replaced its affinity graduations with an event called Celebrating U Completely, which “highlights the various cultures and communities at the University of Utah, showcasing everything from the development of professional skills to the creation of lifelong friendships,” according to an emailed statement.

Jacey Thornton, executive director of Project Rainbow Utah, graduated this year with a master’s in social work from Weber State and was determined to participate in a Lavender Graduation to celebrate the occasion. But in lieu of an official event sponsored by the university, she worked with a social work student organization to reserve a classroom to house the gathering, which wasn’t publicized online in hopes of avoiding protests or being shut down by the university. The room was also booked as a regular club meeting, rather than a special event.”