KY Schools Cave to Anti-DEI; I’m Scared They’re Coming for My University Next.
Photo by Cole Keister on Unsplash I remember the thrill of my high school graduation: my name being called upon, walking down the stage, and my family cheering from their seats. That very moment felt like a promise—that my hard work and results were seen. When I entered college at Morehead State University, I had high hopes for an experience similar to that: something meaningful, personal, and uplifting. But now, that future feels shaky.
Recent decisions by the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville to cancel their Lavender Graduation ceremonies signal a wider, far more unsettling trend—one encouraged by the policies for which President Donald Trump advocates in language that is now echoed by Kentucky’s legislature. The message is exceedingly clear: LGBTQ+ students like me, who don’t fit the narrow mold of what some lawmakers think a Kentuckian should be, are not welcome to celebrate themselves openly. Our joys, our successes, and our identities are under political attack.
Both the University of Louisville (UofL) and the University of Kentucky (UK) canceled their Lavender Graduation ceremonies this year—events meant to recognize and celebrate the achievements of LGBTQ+ graduates. The reason they gave was that they are “just following orders”—oh, sorry, I mean: recent state directives meant to curtail diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs prompted the decision. These directives are identical to legislation that President Trump has been advocating for at the federal level.
The cause of the cancellations is related to House Bill 4, which was enacted on March 28 and written for the sole purpose of punching down on minority college students in Kentucky by prohibiting the use of resources on DEI-related programs and activities in public universities. In essence, this means that any Kentucky public university could face legal trouble if it administered any activity or program that could be seen as benefiting a minority group, if it’s not simultaneously benefiting every other group of people. Unfortunately, officials have decided that Lavender Graduations fall within that scope.
The impact of these universities’ decisions extends beyond the universities stated earlier. As a student at Morehead State University (MSU), I can’t help but be anxious about the precedent these decisions may create. If universities with vast influence like UofL and UK are bending to political pressures, what could that possibly mean for smaller schools like ours?
As an LGBTQ+ student attending MSU, I’ve found comfort in the integrated community our campus harbors. While the resources available to our campus may not be as expansive as those at larger institutions, the feeling of acceptance here has been a lovely part of my college experience. Clubs and organizations such as the LGBTQ Alliance have always fostered support for students in need. Many other clubs also create a safe space for minority students, even if that’s not what they were founded to do. One example of this is the Morehead FGC (Fighting Game Community), a circle of video game players I’m particularly fond of! This begs the question: what happens to these organizations that are supported by the university? Could a community that benefits certain demographics while being officially supported by its university be in legal trouble for doing so?
To me, that is an outrageous proposition. College is meant to be a time of change, one that opens people up to others who are significantly different from them. Ideally, a student’s time in college should allow them to become familiar with the vast array of people, cultures, and identities that they’ll likely be seeing or working with in the future. To stifle that personal growth out of fear of litigation benefits only those who wish to keep us apart and unsupported.
People within my personal life have been and will be affected by these cancellations. I have friends who are no longer going to be able to attend a University of Kentucky-sanctioned and supported Lavender Graduation. And unless Kentucky public universities start to fight back, it’s very likely that smaller institutions such as MSU will capitulate to Kentucky’s problematic legislature.
Unfortunately, recent legislation in Kentucky has already significantly opened the window to limiting LGBTQ voices. It started in 2023 with legislation that led to the outing of queer students (of any age) to their parents without much care for the safety of those students (Senate Bill 150), then later became the active prevention of education about LGBTQ folks to grade-school students (House Bill 304), and now we’ve reached the previously-described legislation, which harms queer college-level students (House Bill 4). At what point do Kentucky legislators call it quits? The day that they’re satisfied would surely be a scary one.
On a more positive note, in response to these ceremony cancellations, students and supportive community members have organized alternative celebrations off-campus. In the case of the University of Kentucky, the 2025 Community Commencement was held on May 2nd to honor BIPOC, First Generation, and LGBTQ graduates through the sole support of students and members of the Gender & Sexuality Alliance. This event was available to any minority student of any university affected by this recent legislation, and stood fairly explicitly as a substitute for Lavender Graduation. A grassroots effort like this demonstrates resilience, along with an important commitment to honoring the identities and achievements of LGBTQ+ UK graduates.
Even in the face of the hostility they’re receiving from the institutions meant to educate and support them, students find many ways to endure. The Community Commencement held for LGBTQ+ graduates of the University of Kentucky is a powerful grassroots example of how students and communities will step up when institutions step back. It wasn’t the same as a school-sanctioned event, but it was real, it was proud, and it truly meant something. It displayed that no matter how much our state’s leaders try to erase us, we will continue to show up for each other.
But we shouldn’t have to organize around unjustified institutional silence. Kentucky’s universities must reclaim their commitment to inclusivity and support—not just when it’s easy, but especially when it’s hard. The right to celebrate who we are and what we’ve achieved shouldn’t be controversial. It should be fundamental to any institution that claims to prepare students for the real world. Because in that world, diversity is not an obstacle, but a strength.
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