MARQUETTE — Titled the Lavender Graduation, LGBTQ+ graduates of Northern Michigan University were celebrated on Thursday.

Student Equity and Engagement Center graduate assistant Sarah Schad detailed the significance behind the lavender color in her welcome speech to the ceremony.

“In 1969, during a ‘gay power’ march from Washington Square to Stonewall Inn in New York, lavender sashes and armbands were distributed to hundreds to commemorate the recent Stonewall riots,” Schad said. “Lavender cords are used to honor LGBTQ+ graduates and hold deep historical significance, symbolizing empowerment, strength, pride, and community.”

Similar to the Multicultural Graduation, a land acknowledgment was delivered by Shelby Boggs, vice president of the Native American Student Association.

“This land acknowledgment is important because it acknowledges the spirit of the lands we inhabit and the continued existence of an Indigenous peoples who have always honored and celebrated the diversity within sexual orientation and gender identity,” Boggs said. “To the Anishinaabek, queerness is sacred because queerness is as natural as Mother Earth.

Social media coordinator — and future president — Shelby Goode of the LGBTQ+ friendly student club Queers & Allies addressed the crowd on the importance of self-exploration during higher education.

“Abandoning the social norms and embarking on a journey of self-discovery is a terrifying ordeal that leads to the greatest comfort and inner peace that comes about from living as your authentic self,” Goode said. “These graduates made it through college, arguably a difficult enough task on its own, and did so with the bravery to live proudly with a queer identity. Whether out and proud or closeted, discovering your authentic self is a major accomplishment and I am proud of every one of you.

Q&A Vice President Avery Zahlmann and President Miranda Miller reflected upon the progress made in their organization, including the establishment of an annual drag show, the revitalization of the Queer Prom event and the connections made between the group’s members.

SEEC programming assistant and student speaker Sonny Pilto, a gender-nonconforming student, dedicated their speech to all those in the past year who have lost their lives due to violence against the LGBTQ+ community.

Pilto said many places at NMU provided them with a chance to be themselves, including the Sacred Space Campus Ministry, the SEEC as well as the Education and Science departments.

The event’s keynote speaker was NMU Network Operations Center programmer Emily Bachman, a former resident advisor and Q&A member who currently serves on the President’s Committee for Gender and Sexuality, mentors in SLFP and participates in ALLIES.

“The queer community that came before me gave me the courage to be myself, but you and all who come after continue to fuel my drive to be an active advocate,” Bachman said. “That, to me, is one of the most beautiful characteristics of our community. We discover ourselves on our own timelines, and as such, our community transcends generations, cultures and locations. We welcome each other with grace and kindness and support each other through the unlearning and relearning required to become our authentic selves.”

Bachman sent off the graduates by saying, “Congratulations on your graduation and the accolades you have earned along the way, and thank you so much for inviting me to share this moment with you. I wish you the best of luck and offer my confidence that you will approach your future endeavors with the same tenacity that led you to this stage.”

Alexandria Bournonville can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 506. Her email address is abournonville@miningjournal.net.