2021 Lavender Graduation Ceremony

The 2021 celebration of graduating LGBTIQA+ students, Sexuality Studies minors, and their allies took place on Sunday, May 9th at 4:00 PM via Zoom. Many thanks to 2021 co-sponsors The Program in Sexuality Studies, The Provost’s Committee on LGBTQ Life, and Student Life and Leadership for their support.

Keynote Speaker K. Tajhi Claybren

K. Tahji Claybren, a black, queer, non-binary person with dark skin and chin-length locs wearing black cat-eye glasses, a blue-jean jacket and blue shirt smiles in front of a public water feature.
K. Tajhi Claybren

We are honored to welcome K. Tajhi Claybren (UNC 2014) as this year's keynote speaker. K. Tajhi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in the field of community health-supporting youth and young adults (ages 12-24); black, indigenous, and communities of color; transgender and non-binary communities; LBGQ communities, and people living with HIV. They are committed to supporting the healing (individual and collective), self-actualization, and liberation of TNB/LGBQ communities of color at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels. While at Carolina, she was a Ronald E. McNair Research Scholar, a program assistant for the LGBTQ Center, and the student leader of the Gender Nonspecific Housing Coalition from 2011 to 2013. K. Tajhi earned their Master of Social Work and Social Work Administration from the University of Chicago and is now part of the Integrative Empowerment Group (IEG) therapy collective in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Watch the Keynote Speech

2020-2021 Lavender Graduates

This is an incomplete list of participants in the 2021 Lavender Graduation ceremony. Nearly every year, some participants are unable to be publicly "out" about their membership in or allyship with LGBTIQA+ communities because of varying levels of stigma in their families, social circles, workplaces, religious communities, and/or geographical location. Part of our work is to mitigate and end this barrier so that people of every sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression can participate fully in their communities and societies without discrimination.

Undergraduate Honorees

  • Dejah Ball
  • Daniel Bowen
  • Darian Buck
  • Bailey Fattorusso
  • Hannah Gahagan
  • Brett Harris
  • Cadan Holden
  • Emma Holt
  • Alexander Lin
  • Ka􀆟e Marroquin
  • Marceline Mar􀆟neau
  • Kieran Patel
  • Morgan Pestyk
  • Kaidyn Radford
  • Ruchi Sarkar
  • Alexandra Simpson
  • Ava Smith
  • Faith Virago

Graduate and Professional Honorees

  • Liam Canty
  • Stephanie Chak
  • Meg DeMarco
  • Jess Epsten
  • Adam Hunter
  • L.B. Klein
  • Ran Levinsky
  • Morgan Maccherone
  • Aoife O'Connor
  • Kimberly Jean Phillips-Weiner
  • Alex Ramirez
  • Gavin Shelton
  • Emily Simmons
  • Eve Stoffel
  • Jenna Wine
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