La Sierra University Church of Seventh-day Adventists, at 4920 Sierra Vista Ave. in Riverside, will host the annual Lavender Graduation ceremony on June 5. (Ken Crawford)
La Sierra University will host its annual Lavender Graduation ceremony June 5 at 6 p.m. at Sierra Vista Chapel on the La Sierra University Church campus, 4920 Sierra Vista Ave., Riverside.
The event is organized by Kinship Sabbath School, a local fellowship group for LGBT+ students and allies affiliated with SDA Kinship International, an independent support network for current and former Seventh-day Adventists. The ceremony honors LGBTQ+ graduates from La Sierra and other area colleges and universities.
University President Dr. Christon Arthur said the ceremony is part of how La Sierra celebrates its graduating students each year.
"One of those commemorations, the Lavender Celebration, which occurs the weekend before our graduation weekend, is our opportunity to celebrate and bless our LGBTQ+ students who are graduating," Arthur said. "It is a beautiful and memorable ceremony where we bless, honor, celebrate, and worship with our students before they leave campus. I gladly participate because it is an opportunity for me to remind our LGBTQ+ students how much I love them, and that La Sierra University will always be their home."
Arthur said La Sierra views all students, including those who identify as LGBTQ+, as full members of the university community.
"We say unequivocally to our LGBTQ+ students, and to all our students, that there is a home for them at La Sierra," he said. "A home where they can thrive, flourish, grow, and live their full potential to become everything that God created them to be."
The ceremony takes place one week before La Sierra University's commencement weekend. A keynote speaker has not yet been announced.
More information: Graduates wishing to participate may register here. Additional information is available on Instagram at @sdakinships.
A favorable draw has both men's and women's teams playing close enough to home that the Lancer faithful are sure to make their presence known in the arenas.
The February 5 celebration at University Theatre featured bagpipes, speeches from university leaders, and a community fair highlighting Hu's vision for social mobility and research excellence.
