Credit: Julia Hallgren for Kent State Today

What happens to tradition when the people and places that host traditions are gone? This is the question that two Kent State students, Jess Brenneman and Xander Dotson, face as they prepare the upcoming Lavender Celebration.

The Lavender Celebration, previously known as the Lavender Graduation, is a pre-commencement ceremony honoring queer and allied graduating students. It was first created in 1995 by Ronni Sanlo at the University of Michigan and brought to Kent State in 2013. 

“Like Karamu (Karamu Ya Wahitimu/Celebración De Los Graduados), it’s a historical and cultural event,” Jess Brenneman, a first semester graduate in the M.L.I.S. program and vice president of PRIDE!Kent & Trans*fusion, explains. “For some students, it’s the only ‘graduation’ they will get, hence the pomp and circumstance. It might be the only time they cross a stage and hear their true name be called. We want it to be as special, fun and meaningful as it can be.”

“Over a decade of celebration of our achievements as a community has gone by,” Xander Dotson, a sophomore visual communication design major, says. “We intend to continue showing people that we can beat the odds!”

Brenneman, the lead coordinator for the Lavender Celebration, says they undertook running the event after finding out that without the LGBTQ+ Center, there were no plans for a Lavender Graduation. 

“I reached out to a professor to ask if Lavender Graduation would still be held, if I could help or if I could at least still get the rainbow stole, and I ended up getting bounced from person to person until I wound up in the office of the advisor for PRIDE!Kent & Trans*fusion,” Brenneman explains. “When I learned that there were no set plans to bring it back, that a student initiative would be needed, it was natural to say ‘Yes, I’ll help. I’ll take that on.’”

Brenneman, who served as president of their high school’s Gay-Straight Alliance, is no stranger to leading queer-centered events; however, they say that the Lavender Celebration is unlike any other event that they have run before. 

“I don’t know how to plan a ceremony like this, a 300-person event. But I’m learning, and the learning has been fun, albeit at times stressful,” Brenneman says. “It’s allowed me to meet so many wonderful people that have so much expertise to share and are all participating to make this thing as amazing as possible, which is just really heartening to see.”

Meanwhile Dotson, who is PRIDE!Kent and Trans*fusion’s social media marketing coordinator as well as co-coordinator and lead media planner for the Lavender Celebration, says that while he never previously pictured himself in these roles, he takes great pride in doing something to help his community. 

“It’s a lot of pressure, but I am proud to be a part of doing something great for the LGBTQ+ community,” Dotson says. “Also, I really love lavender.” 

For Dotson, working on the Lavender Celebration has meant working towards a future where the Lavender Graduation still exists, both for himself and for future queer Kent State students. 

“I’m making sure the stage is still there for me to cross when I graduate,” Dotson says. “I would have never believed I would be where I am, and now it’s my turn to cultivate something great for the next generation of students and our community.”

While advising and social media is what Dotson describes as a part of his expertise, he says that it has still been a daunting task to undertake. 

“It is definitely a challenge to create a new brand in the middle of the school year. But it’s super pretty, and we’ve gotten to the point where I get to see my own ads in the Kent Stater, on the digital screens, everywhere around campus!” Dotson explains. “It is a surreal experience, to see your work everywhere you look.” 

It goes to say that no event is without its challenges; however, the Lavender Celebration is unique in how the event must navigate Senate Bill One.

“SB1 makes it difficult for the university to promote student organizations, and we can’t use a good majority of the channels that the LGBTQ+ Center could,” Dotson explains. 

Prior to Kent State’s Undergraduate Student Government’s amendment to fund the Lavender Celebration, Brenneman says that funding was a major concern. 

“We’re not a department with a stream of money and a roster of professional staff, we’re a bunch of college kids eating ramen and procrastinating essays,” Brenneman explains. “Hopefully with this we can get the funding sooner next year and get started with marketing and the bulk of planning a lot sooner — the uncertainty stalled us for a long time.” 

The Lavender Celebration’s new name isn’t the only change to the event this year; it has undergone all new branding and will be solely run by a student organization. 

“We are starting almost from scratch, trying to recreate what it was in years past,” Dotson says. “I have no idea how our first time running it will go, but I do know that everything we have put into this is worth it to keep the tradition alive.”

However, according to Brenneman, despite the changes, at the heart of it all, the Lavender Celebration is still the same.

“I joke that I’m doing all of this just for that rainbow stole, but really, it’s about not letting this thing die. I refuse to let something as important and meaningful as Lavender Graduation just disappear,” Brenneman says. “It may have to change, become the Lavender Celebration, it may look a little different. But the crux of it is the same — this is a space for queer joy. This is a place where students can gather, LGBTQ+ and allies, and celebrate achievement in the face of stacked odds.”

Brenneman says that the Lavender Celebration will be following tradition as closely as possible, although they are still figuring out all the details. 

“We aren’t sure if we’re going to be able to announce the LGBTQ+ scholarship winners,” Brenneman says. “Otherwise, we’re really trying to keep it as true to tradition as we can, just with the rebranding.”

Despite the challenges and changes, the Lavender Celebration has been met with support both on and off campus. Both Brenneman and Dotson say that the support has been a pleasant surprise in the wake of all the challenges. 

“I can’t even count how many people have reached out to say ‘Hey, I want to help. How can I support you? What do you need?’ It’s been so touching,” Brenneman says. “Faculty, staff, students, community members — people from all over have been coming together to say ‘We stand behind this and want to help you make it happen.’ It’s been just super awesome.”

“My favorite part to date is when we went flyering downtown to local businesses,” Dotson says. “We ended up visiting around 30-40 in one day — the vast majority said yes.” 

According to Dotson, students are often surprised to hear that the Lavender Celebration is still happening without the LGBTQ+ Center and that it’s open to more than just graduates.

“We are still here, besties! We aren’t going anywhere, no matter what laws come our way,” Dotson says. “Anyone, and I mean anyone, is welcome to attend, and who wouldn’t want a free dinner and rainbow cookies?” 

“You don’t have to be queer to attend, anyone can, and we want everyone to join us and celebrate,” Brenneman says. “You can bring your friends that don’t go to Kent State, you can bring your parents, you can bring your Club Penguin girlfriend from Utah. Literally everyone is invited and encouraged to attend. No exceptions.”

The 2026 Lavender Celebration will take place on Thursday, April 30th, from 6p.m. to 9p.m. in the Kent Student Center ballroom. There will also be a community reception on the same day starting at 5p.m. in the ballroom balcony.

To best support the event, Breneman and Dotson encourage students to register to attend the event, regardless of if they’re a graduating student or not. Students can also support the event, and future events, by joining and following PRIDE! Kent and Trans*fusion discord servers, Instagram pages and The Gay Agenda newsletter. Students can also reach out to the organizations by emailing [email protected] if they wish to volunteer or have any other additional questions. 

“This has been a huge labor of love for myself and my fellow members of the planning committee, and I just want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart for supporting this endeavor,” Brenneman says. “For participating in the planning, for spreading the word, for registering. We couldn’t do it without all of you.”

“You might not think that the things you do make an impact. All you need to do is get your work out there, and eventually, you’ll step back and realize you’ve created something beautiful,” Dotson says. “You are beating the odds by continuing to be here, to fight, to exist. Your existence is worth celebrating.”

Rebekah Hiles is a writer and photographer. Contact her at [email protected]