Lavender Graduation

What is Lavender Graduation?

The ceremony celebrates the many accomplishments of LGBTQ students and Allies at Commonwealth University - Bloomsburg. The Commission for Gender and Sexuality and LGBTQA Resource Center want to take this opportunity to honor our graduates and to thank them for all that they do for the LGBTQ community and the university as a whole. It is also a time for the graduates to thank individuals for their support during the graduates’ time at BU.

Who attends Lavender Graduation?

Each Spring, we honor Undergraduate and Graduate Students who have already or plan to finish their degree during any semester in the current academic or calendar year. Also, each graduate will be able to identify a significant other who they would specifically like to honor at graduation (see participant form). All students, faculty, staff, and alumni are welcome to attend the ceremony. Feel free to ask guests to join you for the celebration.

Why should I participate?

Lavender Graduation is a time for you to take pride in yourself and your achievements at BU. By participating, you will be a visible sign of the strength of our community and serve as an example to future LGBTQA graduates. It also allows you an opportunity to thank those individuals in your life that have supported you during your time in school.

What about the official university graduation?

Lavender Graduation in no way replaces the university’s graduation. You will still be able to walk with your graduating class, AND you will be able to wear your rainbow tassel and cords as a sign of your community pride.

Do I have to be LGBTQ or actively involved in LGBTQ issues on campus to participate?

NO. The ceremony is our way of celebrating ALL LGBTQ students and Allies at BU.

What should I wear?

No need to wear caps & gowns for this ceremony. Most participants at other Lav Grads around the country wear “business casual.” However, it’s your graduation, so we want you to be comfortable and express yourself. [Keep in mind: this is a “family” celebration, so keep it PG.]

How do I sign up to participate?

Graduating students wanting to participate in the event should complete our online registration form.

Friends, family, community members, and the public are welcome to attend the event. No registration is necessary.

The Lavender Graduation will feature speaker Capt. Tracy "Trey" Wirth of the U.S. Coast Guard. 

Captain Trey Wirth (he/him) currently oversees the Office of Marine Environmental Response Policy at Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, DC. He leads a team that administers, develops, and maintains the Coast Guard’s marine environmental response program and provides guidance to operational field units. He also serves as the Vice Chair for the National Response Team and Chairs the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research.

Previously, he was the Deputy Sector Commander at Sector North Carolina, where he served as the Alternate Captain of the Port, Officer-in-Charge Marine Inspection, Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, and Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the state of North Carolina.

Prior to this, Captain Wirth served as the Sector North Carolina Response Department Head, where he was responsible for command-and-control activities associated with Search and Rescue (SAR), Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security, Marine Environmental Protection, Incident Management, and Law Enforcement in the navigable waters of the State of North Carolina. He served at the Operations Section Chief for both hurricanes FLORENCE and DORIAN, where he oversaw the pre-staging of response assets, directed rescue resources, and facilitated the restoration of the Sector’s field units to normal operations following the catastrophic storms.

Captain Wirth has served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 24 years, spending the majority of his career in high optempo All-Hazard incident management and crisis management roles. He is a NIMS ICS Type 1 Operations Section Chief, Type 2 Planning Section Chief, and Type 3 Incident Commander. His other major operational responses include: September 11, 2001 attack on the Pentagon, Baltimore Tunnel Fire of 2001, Hurricane Isabel in 2003, BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, Super Storm SANDY, Paulsboro, NJ Train Derailment, two DoD helicopter crashes in Honolulu, HI, and Hurricane MARIA as the Deputy Planning Section Chief at the Area Command level.

Captain Wirth’s other assignments include Deputy, Planning and Force Readiness Chief at Coast Guard District Fourteen in Honolulu, HI, Sector Delaware Bay Incident Management Chief, Coast Guard Headquarters Incident Management Policy Chief and Coordination and Outreach Division Officer, Sector Buffalo Waterways Management Chief, and Sector National Capital Region (formally Activities Baltimore) Marine Environmental Protection Chief and Foreign Vessel Inspector.

Captain Wirth began his Coast Guard officer career after receiving his commission from Officer Candidate School in February 2001. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in Quality Systems Management from the National Graduate School.

Captain Wirth’s military awards include the Coast Guard Meritorious Service Medal, four Coast Guard Commendation Medals, two Coast Guard Achievement Medals, and two Commandant’s Letter of Commendation Ribbons. He is authorized to wear both the Boat Forces and Marine Safety Insignias.

Captain Wirth is a native of Schnecksville, and has three children; Austie, Colbie, and Crosby.