RSVP BY TODAY for our end of the year Celebration & Awards! 

Student Belonging (formerly known as Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, & Belonging, or i3b) in the Division of Student Affairs has hosted celebration ceremonies for Latinx, Black, and LGBTQIA+ / queer students for several years. This year, we are excited to add the Asian Cultural Celebration & Awards to the lineup. These three affinity events will honor and celebrate the achievements of UMBC's outstanding community members and graduating students.

The Lavender celebration is in recognition of the achievements of queer / LGBTQIA2+ community at UMBC, which is inclusive of students, faculty, staff, alumni, campus affiliates, and our allies. This year’s graduation celebration will focus on the theme “Power in Queer Joy.”

The 12th Annual Lavender Celebration & Awards

Monday, May 19, 2025

5:30 - 8pm

Skylight, The Commons 3rd Floor

This celebration includes:

• Keynote speeches from an undergraduate and graduate student in the community.

• An award component in celebration of the efforts and achievements accomplished in the past year. We have redone the awards for this year’s celebration, and our new award line up now includes awards highlighting inclusive and welcoming faculty and staff, up-and-coming students, students engaging in inclusive excellence and activism, students promoting radical love and belonging, efforts promoting the queer community, and graduating students or faculty/staff who have created a legacy worth celebrating.

• A creative presentation moment in the celebration that highlights a performance, artwork, or other creative endeavor made in the last year by a queer student. We also have a second student showcasing their work, gallery-style, in the Fireside Lounge throughout the event.

• A moment of celebration and farewell for our graduating students, who receive a special token to take forward with them.

Our Lavender Celebration & Awards is just one of countless Lavender events across the globe. According to the Human Rights Campaign, Lavender was created by Dr. Ronni Santo, a Jewish Lesbian who was denied the opportunity to attend the graduations of her biological children because of her sexual orientation. It was through this experience that she came to understand the pain felt by her students. Encouraged by the Dean of Students at the University of Michigan, Dr. Sanlo designed the first Lavender event in 1995.

Dress code: We encourage all attendees and graduates to dress in their "celebration best." While cap and gown are not required, we would be thrilled to see attendees join us in cowboy or western themed apparel (cowboy hats in particular!) in the spirit of this semester’s Pride theme. This is not required, please feel free to come in whatever is affirming and comfortable for you!

For those interested in attending, RSVP HERE (https://forms.gle/7HYsxsAAaJBNKH8g6)! Graduates that RSVP between Monday, April 14th and Monday, April 28th at 6pm will be highlighted during the event and receive honorary graduation cords.

Folx are still welcome to attend even if there is no RSVP. Graduating students can register to be recognized day-of, but food and seating is only guranteed for those who RSVP'ed.

If you have any questions, please email the Lavender Planning Committee co-chairs: Darcie Adams at dadams4@umbc.edu or Zoe Brown at zoebrown@umbc.edu.

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy. 

Join us next week to celebrate Interfaith Week from April 21-25, 2025!

Here is a sneak peak of all the events to come!

Monday, 4/21

Interfaith Week Kick Off, 11:30-1:00pm

Tabling Fair on Commons Main Street (11:30AM-1:00PM)

This event will be a religious showcase. Different religious clubs will set up a table in Main Street with a poster explaining their club and the religion they practice. Much like Involvement Fest, each club will be expected to talk about their club but also have an emphasis on the religion itself. The goal is for students to come to each table and learn about the different faiths, traditions, practices, and other important aspects of the religion. 

Human Library in Lower Flat Tuesday (11:30AM-1:00PM)

Come to our Human Library, a chance to hear from fellow students about their various religious and spiritual faiths. Ask questions and learn about various beliefs and traditions that you didn't get the chance to learn about before. Don't be afraid to ask questions as long as they are well intentioned. Snacks will be provided.

Tuesday, 4/22

MythBusters, 5:30-6:30 in Lower Flat Tuesdays

Our goal is to host a MythBusters event that includes an interactive event including a Kahoot game that challenges individuals to re-examine their mindset on “myths” or misconceptions that they have/have heard about their religion or another faith. Once the Kahoot is complete, we will follow up with an open discussion about other myths and questions with individuals from various faiths present to participate.

Wednesday, 4/23

Interfaith Candy Bar, 5:00PM-6:00PM in Commons, Main Street

Sweet tooths, unite! Make sure to stop by our interfaith candy bar. Come ready to connect with a diverse set of religious groups/traditions on campus through a sweet treat! This event is open to all members of the UMBC Community.

Thursday, 4/24

Liberty of Leisure: Desegregating Gwynn Oak Amusement Park, 1:30PM in CWB 101

Gathering Space intern, Kayla Brooks, will be presenting the research of her Master’s thesis. This presentation includes history about the interfaith engagement strategies utilized to desegregate Gwynn Oak Amusement Park.

Speed Faithing Event, 5:00pm (Commons 329)

Not quite speed dating– “speed faithing” is an opportunity to participate in an opportunity to engage in numerous 3-5 min. dialogues about faith and spirituality. These will be in moving groups of 3 or 4 and dinner will be provided.

Friday, 4/25

Join for Religious Practices in The Gathering Space!

• Yoga: 9:00AM

• Catholic Mass: 12:00PM

• Jummah: 1:15PM & 2:15PM

• Shabbat: 5:00PM

Mindful Nature Walk with Daniela: 3:00pm-5:00pm (meeting in CWB lobby)

Journey through the Herbert Run Greenway with our Gathering Space intern, Daniela. Take some time for personal reflection and mindful journeying.

Ice Cream Social 3:30PM (TGS Kitchenette)

Join us for a midday Ice Cream Social! Non-dairy and kosher options will be available.

These are amazing opportunities to connect with the UMBC community and other religious/spiritual organizations. We hope that you make some time to gather with us and we look forward to your presence and participation.

LET’S GATHER!

VOTING NOW OPEN for the Lavender Student Choice Award!

Voting open until 7pm on Friday, April 25th

VOTE HERE: https://forms.gle/gEDWw5c5j9LjwsrP9

Who’s Eligible? Faculty, staff, or campus affiliates/partners

Who Can Vote? Only students!  Undergraduate and graduate students can both vote!

Why This Award Matters: This is the award that celebrates a true champion—someone who has consistently gone above and beyond to create a safe, welcoming, and inclusive space for queer students at UMBC. Whether through mentorship, advocacy, or everyday kindness, this person has made a lasting impact on our community. This is a lifetime award, meaning once you win, you’re forever a legend!

Click here to view the UMBC OutList!

RSVP TODAY for our end of the year Celebration & Awards! 

Student Belonging (formerly known as Initiatives for Identity, Inclusion, & Belonging, or i3b) in the Division of Student Affairs has hosted celebration ceremonies for Latinx, Black, and LGBTQIA+ / queer students for several years. This year, we are excited to add the Asian Cultural Celebration & Awards to the lineup. These three affinity events will honor and celebrate the achievements of UMBC's outstanding community members and graduating students.

The Lavender celebration is in recognition of the achievements of queer / LGBTQIA2+ community at UMBC, which is inclusive of students, faculty, staff, alumni, campus affiliates, and our allies. This year’s graduation celebration will focus on the theme “Power in Queer Joy.”

The 12th Annual Lavender Celebration & Awards

Monday, May 19, 2025

5:30 - 8pm

Skylight, The Commons 3rd Floor

This celebration includes:

• Keynote speeches from an undergraduate and graduate student in the community.

• An award component in celebration of the efforts and achievements accomplished in the past year. We have redone the awards for this year’s celebration, and our new award line up now includes awards highlighting inclusive and welcoming faculty and staff, up-and-coming students, students engaging in inclusive excellence and activism, students promoting radical love and belonging, efforts promoting the queer community, and graduating students or faculty/staff who have created a legacy worth celebrating.

• A creative presentation moment in the celebration that highlights a performance, artwork, or other creative endeavor made in the last year by a queer student. We also have a second student showcasing their work, gallery-style, in the Fireside Lounge throughout the event.

• A moment of celebration and farewell for our graduating students, who receive a special token to take forward with them.

Our Lavender Celebration & Awards is just one of countless Lavender events across the globe. According to the Human Rights Campaign, Lavender was created by Dr. Ronni Santo, a Jewish Lesbian who was denied the opportunity to attend the graduations of her biological children because of her sexual orientation. It was through this experience that she came to understand the pain felt by her students. Encouraged by the Dean of Students at the University of Michigan, Dr. Sanlo designed the first Lavender event in 1995.

Dress code: We encourage all attendees and graduates to dress in their "celebration best." While cap and gown are not required, we would be thrilled to see attendees join us in cowboy or western themed apparel (cowboy hats in particular!) in the spirit of this semester’s Pride theme. This is not required, please feel free to come in whatever is affirming and comfortable for you!

For those interested in attending, RSVP HERE (https://forms.gle/7HYsxsAAaJBNKH8g6)! Graduates that RSVP between Monday, April 14th and Monday, April 28th at 6pm will be highlighted during the event and receive honorary graduation cords.

If you have any questions, please email the Lavender Planning Committee co-chairs: Darcie Adams at dadams4@umbc.edu or Zoe Brown at zoebrown@umbc.edu.

This event is open for full participation by all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected category under applicable federal law, state law, and the University's nondiscrimination policy. 

UMBC and the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge (ALL IN) have honored Tafat Boudif ‘27 as part of the fourth annual ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll. The 2025 ALL IN Student Voting Honor Roll recognizes college students at participating campuses who have gone above and beyond to advance nonpartisan student voter registration, education, and turnout efforts in their communities. Boudif is one of 232 students who mobilized their fellow students to make their voices heard in a historic election cycle. (Watch an instagram video of Tafat and other recipients.)

“Whether they hosted nonpartisan voter registration drives or early voting celebrations, the students honored today made sure their peers did not sleep in on Election Day,” said Jen Domagal-Goldman, executive director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge. “With 100,000 local elections happening across the country in 2025, ALL IN students continue to ensure that everyone on their campuses has the information they need to cast their ballot. The 232 Student Voting Honor Roll honorees lead by example, making nonpartisan voter participation a lifelong habit for themselves and their peers.” 

As a political engagement intern with the Center for Democracy and Civic Life, Boudif helps facilitate civic and political processes for students on campus to allow them to demonstrate their full potential and achieve meaningful change within their communities and beyond. A political science and global studies double major, she also hopes to promote safe spaces in which students of all identities feel comfortable to be vulnerable in their experiences.

Boudif shared, “Voting as a college student is not easy, and it is something I fear will become even harder in the coming times. However, the attack we see on voting rights today is indicative of how powerful our voices can truly be once we have the opportunity to express them. That is why I do this work; I believe each individual has a story that is key to how we shape our nation and I dedicate myself to ensuring that everyone can actually tell that story, in this case through voting. I feel honored to be recognized, but mostly grateful for my colleagues at the Center for Democracy and Civic Life and other students across the nation who continue to support this work despite its difficulties.”

A recent survey from CIRCLE found that 48% of under-35 youth who did not vote in 2024 heard little or nothing at all about how to vote, compared to the 15% of under-35 youth who cast their ballots. By integrating nonpartisan voter registration and education into campus life, colleges and universities can have a measurable impact in encouraging students to become active and engaged citizens.

"Voting is one of the many ways we can take part in shaping the direction of our communities, nation, and world," said Trentqual Rhone, coordinator for political engagement at the Center for Democracy and Civic Life. "Over the past decade, we’ve seen increased efforts to restrict voter participation, especially among marginalized communities—making programs that support voter registration, turnout, and civic engagement more important than ever. We must continue working to ensure our students have the tools and motivation they need to show up to the polls, make informed decisions, and participate in building a future that reflects the world they want to see."

The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge empowers colleges and universities to achieve excellence in nonpartisan student civic engagement. With the support of the ALL IN staff, campuses that join the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge complete a set of action items to institutionalize nonpartisan civic learning, voter participation and ongoing engagement in our democracy on their campus. The ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge engages more than 1,000 institutions enrolling over 10 million students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. 

Civic Nation is a nonprofit ecosystem for high-impact organizing and education initiatives working to build a more inclusive and equitable America. Civic Nation shifts culture, systems, and policy by bringing together individuals, grassroots organizers, industry leaders, and influencers to tackle some of our nation’s most pressing social challenges. Civic Nation is home to seven national initiatives and campaigns: ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, Change Collective, It’s On Us, We The Action, and When We All Vote.