Despite pandemic conditions, the tradition of The University of Texas at Dallas Lavender Graduation will continue this spring for its ninth consecutive year. “One of the special parts of the in-person Lavender Graduation is connecting with each other and sharing a meal together,” Winser-Johns said. In addition to the virtual ceremony on May 4, lavender graduates will receive a care package that includes a rainbow cord, a lavender graduation certificate, swag from the Galerstein Gender Center and a gift from Alumni Relations. According to the Human Rights Campaign, the first Lavender Graduation ceremony took place in 1995 at the University of Michigan. Today more than 200 universities across the country honor their LGBTQ graduates with a Lavender Ceremony.