Florida public universities rebrand LGBTQ graduations to skirt state's DEI ban
Florida’s public universities are holding LGBTQ+ 'graduation celebrations' but excluding the term 'DEI' to ensure compliance with anti-DEI legislation.
Campus Reform is reporting a nation wide trend as universities rename DEI offices, courses, position titles, and scholarships to comply with state and federal law.
Florida’s major public universities are adapting their identity-based graduation events in response to state and federal laws that have eliminated diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices.
Four Florida universities are holding ceremonies to honor LGBTQ+ graduates, but the terminology has shifted.
Previously known as “Lavender Graduations,” these ceremonies are now being rebranded as Lavender “gala[s]” or “celebration[s]” at state-funded institutions.
This change appears to be a strategic move to comply with Florida’s anti-DEI law, which prohibits higher education institutions from using state funds for DEI programs and activities, which would include DEI-based graduation celebrations.
[RELATED: Franklin and Marshall College holds identity-based graduations]
Florida International University (FIU) in Miami hosted a “Lavender Social” on April 14, citing the name change on social media.
“Lavender Graduation is now Lavender Social,” FIU’s Pride Center shared on Instagram.
The event flyer affirmed that the social is “open to all students” to ensure compliance with state regulations.
The University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa hosted a “Lavender Gala” on March 25, where USF’s Alumni Association presented an “LGBT Scholarship Award” and “PRIDE Awards.”
The event was hosted by USF’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, which was previously known as the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee hosted a “Lavender Celebration” on April 18 where LGBTQ+ graduates were presented rainbow stoles, as shown in a social media post by FSU’s Pride Student Union.
Student organizations at the University of Florida (UF) in Gainesville hosted a “Lavender Celebration” for “LGBTQ+ students and their allies” on April 19, according to a social media post by UF’s Pride Student Union and UF LGBTQ+ Alumni.T
The university told Campus Reform that it was not a school-sponsored event. The Pride Student Union is funded through UF’s student government association.
While Florida’s state-funded institutions have rebranded events to comply with state law, private universities have retained the original language of “Lavender Graduation.”
Florida’s anti-DEI legislation, Senate Bill 266, “specifies that a Florida College System (FCS) institution, state university, or associated support organization may not expend any funds for programs or campus activities that...advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
Private institutions do not fall under this distinction, allowing them to retain DEI-related language in their events and programs.
Stetson University in DeLand hosted a “Lavender Graduation” ceremony on March 27, where LGBTQ+ graduates were awarded with “lavender stole[s],” per a social media post by Stetson’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion.
Rollins College in Winter Park is hosting a “Mosaic Graduation Celebration” on May 8 to honor graduates involved in its LGBTQ+ and “cultural organizations.”
Per the event flyer shared on social media, the event will be hosted by Rollins’ “Center for Inclusion” in collaboration with the “Black Faculty Group” and “PRISM” LGBTQ+ faculty group.
While identity-based graduation celebrations at state-funded institutions do not explicitly mention the term “DEI,” their event descriptions and sponsors closely mirror previous DEI-based ceremonies Campus Reform reported in past years.
Universities across the country are renaming DEI offices, courses, position titles, and scholarships to comply with state and federal law, according to Campus Reform.
Despite the removal of DEI-related language, many institutions have affirmed that their commitment to DEI remains the same.
For example, the University of Pennsylvania’s Interim President J. Larry Jameson wrote a letter to the campus community stating that the university will “sustain” its “missions while ensuring Penn complies with federal law” after eliminating DEI position titles.
Additionally, Campus Reform reported that USF faculty member Dr. Haywood Brown resigned earlier this month after a leaked clip exposed the DEI vice president saying he would continue pushing DEI despite violating Florida state law.
Campus Reform has contacted all colleges mentioned in this article for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
