Kentucky universities cancel LGBTQ, black grad ceremonies to comply with anti-DEI law

Kentucky universities are canceling identity-based graduation ceremonies in response to recent anti-DEI legislation passed by lawmakers. 

The University of Kentucky (UK) in Lexington canceled its Lavender Graduation celebration for LGBT-identifying graduates and its Harambee Unity Celebration for black graduates, the Lexington Herald-Leader reports. 

“Following a number of federal and state policy changes and directives, the university will no longer host identity-based or special-interest graduation celebrations,” UK Chief Communications Officer Jay Blanton said in a statement to Campus Reform.

The University of Louisville (UofL) also canceled its LGBTQ graduation event in response to “recent changes,” according to a social media post by UofL’s LGBT Center.

“It is a university-sponsored event and was canceled because of the change in state law,” university spokesperson John Karman told Campus Reform. 

The ceremony was originally scheduled for April 21 and planned to feature the presentation of an LGBTQ leadership award, along with providing students with commemorative rainbow cords, according to the registration form.

Despite the cancellation, students are still encouraged to obtain their rainbow graduation cords. 

[RELATED: Florida public universities rebrand LGBTQ graduations to skirt state’s DEI ban]

The removal of identity-based graduation ceremonies follows the passage of House Bill 4 by Kentucky’s legislature last month, which prohibits public universities from “expending any resources” on DEI.

H.B. 4 prohibits state-funded universities from requiring DEI coursework, eliminates DEI admissions statements and prohibits the use of resources for “bias incident investigations.” 

The law also prohibits universities from basing the composition of the student body, scholarship recipients, or student housing on discriminatory factors of race, sex, or religion. 

Campus Reform is tracking a growing nation-wide trend of states passing anti-DEI legislation similar to Kentucky’s H.B. 4. 

In response to the state law, UofL President Gerry Bradley sent an email to the campus community affirming that the institution “remains committed to its mission and values to be inclusive for all,” as noted by Campus Reform.

“While some things are changing, who we are, what we believe and the values we hold dear have not and will not change,” Bradley stated.

[RELATED: Campus Reform’s Anti-DEI Legislation Tracker]

Kentucky’s anti-DEI law complies with White House directives amid the Trump administration’s DEI crackdown in higher education. 

The U.S. Department of Education warned universities in a February ‘Dear Colleague’ letter that their federal funding is at risk if they continue employing race-based practices and promoting DEI. 

The department launched investigations into 45 universities for race-based practices, including the University of Kentucky, per an announcement.