Local leaders and 2026 graduates pose for a photograph at the graduation.
Lavender Graduation was deeply moving, as LGBTQIA+ students prepared to enter the next chapter of their lives.
The celebration was at Columbia High School Auditorium, followed by a party at The Woodland. This annual event, which is part of June’s Pride Month, honors the achievements and contributions of the LGBTQIA+ students.
The event is organized in partnership with South Orange, South Orange-Maplewood School District, CHS Spectrum Club and NJ Safe Schools Coalition as a reaffirmation of their commitment to inclusive, supportive environments amidst increased attacks on the LGBTQIA+ rights. Graduates received certificates, rainbow honor cords and tassels. The event was open to all 2026 seniors.
The initiative, which began in 2017, highlights MAPSO’s commitment to visibility and inclusion, reflecting nationwide efforts since the first Lavender Graduation in 1995 at the University of Michigan.
Shannon Cuttle was the evening’s emcee. Cuttle became the first transgender nonbinary elected state official in New Jersey and the first transgender nonbinary school board member in South Orange-Maplewood. “I always want our youth to know you can aspire to be anything you want to be,” they said.
Committeeman Dean Dafis said, “Now, more than ever, it’s important to have a space like this.” Dafis spoke about being a survivor of gay conversion therapy, growing up in the 1970s. “We need to continue fighting for our belonging. I had the great honor (of) serving as Maplewood’s first ‘out’ mayor. If you can see it, you can be it. That’s why we have a special service for our LGBTQIA+. I just want to congratulate our graduates. We have a smaller group tonight. We usually fill this auditorium. Our visibility really matters right now. I salute you on your first of many milestones. If you go out with an open heart into the world, the world is going to open up to you. Learn skills. Build relationships. When you get to that dream job, you will shine.”
Beth Johnson, an advisor at CHS Spectrum Club, said, “This is so important and we’re so happy to be here.”
Kelly Murphy, also an advisor at CHS Spectrum Club, said, “I can’t help but be emotional. You are a special senior class. We love you guys very much. You are amazing students.”
Jason Bing, CHS superintendent, said, “You are a work in progress and that is a beautiful thing. You’ll realize along this journey. If you have to shrink yourself to fit in, that is not the environment for you. Just remember, you’re growing.”
Kate Okeson, director of LGBTQIA+ Youth Equity Commission, was the keynote speaker of the evening. She graduated in 1993 and spoke of a time before cell phones and when friends made mixed tapes for each other. They were thrilled to graduate, all of that joy in senior year.
But Okeson would also read the newspapers and said, “They wanted to take our civil rights away. I saw New Jersey had the first law against discrimination in 1942. It may feel dark at times, however we persist. Folks on this stage, they’re here on purpose, making sure you have rights. There is a courage that doesn’t announce itself. Every June we celebrate that courage. Being seen – truly seen – changes something in a person. Young people always understood this Stonewall uprising. Mostly teens and young adults. They had had enough. They were not going to wait for someone else to act. I see you. We see you. Your visibility is tangible. You use your light to make others visible too. You belong here. That is what pride is.”
The graduates received their tassel, then local leaders in the SOMA community high-fived them. After the ceremony, seniors were invited to speak at the podium.
Aster, who was a 2025 graduate, said she was interested in so many different things and applied to colleges because that was what was expected of her. With gender reassignment, she found everything she was looking for. “Life blossomed,” she said. “I moved to NYC, go to FIT [Fashion Institute Technology]. I have a wonderful girlfriend. I have wonderful friends. If you accept everything in your life, life blossoms.”
Izzy, a 2026 graduate, moved to the United States from Peru. “The Spectrum Club is so important,” Izzy said. “I first moved here and heard of Lavender Graduation. I was stunned.”
Alice, also a 2026 graduate, praised the Spectrum Club, too. “Spectrum is a very important space at CHS. The community here, it’s all very welcoming and supportive.”
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