The University of Alaska hosts ‘Lavender’ awards for diverse sexual identities

In an effort to publicly affirm the ever-expanding litany of human sexual proclivities and identities, the publicly funded University of Alaska system is hosting “Lavender Graduation” events this month ahead of traditional graduation ceremonies.

According to the University of Alaska, Anchorage’s website, the campus will host its Lavender Graduation on May 3 to honor “the achievements and accomplishments of undergraduates and graduate students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, aromantic , asexual, agender, non-binary, pansexual, same-sex loving, two-spirit, allied and all others connected to the LGBTQIA2S+ community.”

The gathering, which aims to provide a space to ‘celebrate yourself’, will feature speakers and ‘performers’ with food and drinks sponsored by the school’s catering department.

Farther north, the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus held a similar event on April 13, with the school handing out “rainbow honor cords” and “Pride Pins” for students to publicly display during the official graduation ceremony on May 6.

Lavender degrees fall under the university’s 2027 plan, which includes five ‘aspirations’, one of which is to ‘create a culture of equality and inclusivity by embracing diversity’. To achieve this goal, campuses across the state are focusing on eliminating “systemic” (or unconscious) racism, affirming certain pre-selected marginalized groups, and promoting the notion of “equity,” a concept used to favor some groups over others. to achieve equality of outcomes, rather than equality of opportunity.

In addition to the sexual identity ceremonies, the UAA will also host a “multicultural” graduation ceremony on May 4, but only for students who identify as “Black, African American, Indigenous, Native American, Hispanic, Latino/x/a/o, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern and North African, multiracial or mixed heritage; students practicing minority religions; and international students.” The event does not recognize students who identify as European, Anglo-Saxon or white. Nor is it an invitation to celebrate those who may practice a faith other than a so-called “minority religion.”

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