OHIO LGBT Center invites LGBTQ+ graduates to attend virtual Pride Graduation ceremony on April 24

Distinguished alumnus and journalist, entrepreneur, and producer Chris Witherspoon will deliver the keynote address

The Ohio University LGBT Center invites 2021 OHIO graduates to attend Pride Graduation on April 24, a virtual ceremony honoring LGBTQ+ graduates from all academic OHIO campuses and academic levels. The event is co-sponsored by Student Senate and the Ohio University Alumni Association (OUAA).

Graduating students from all OHIO campuses, friends, family, faculty, and staff are invited to register for Pride Graduation – as a participant or a guest – at https://bit.ly/PrideGrad21. 

“Pride Graduation is an annual tradition at Ohio University,” said Micah McCarey, Director of the LGBT Center. “It is a joyous occasion to celebrate our graduates, congratulate them on their degree completion, and highlight their unique contributions to the Bobcat community. We are delighted to have the support of our OHIO community.”

For the first time this year, Pride Graduation has two-cosponsors in Student Senate and the Ohio University Alumni Association (OUAA).

“We are proud that Student Senate supports Pride Graduation and the LGBT Center because our community is more than deserving of being honored and supported as a part of our Bobcat family one last time before their next steps in the big world,” said Molly Davis, undergraduate student in Health Sciences and Professions and the LGBT Commissioner in Student Senate. “Part of our heart leaves when our members graduate, so we want them to have a forever memory with us. #BobcatforLife”

Graduating students who register to participate will receive a complimentary LGBTQ+ graduation stole, courtesy of the Ohio University Alumni Association (OUAA). The stoles can be shipped or picked up in the LGBT Center – while supplies last. 

"The Ohio University Alumni Association is honored to support Pride Graduation and welcome our LGBTQ+ students to the Bobcat family. We work to provide welcoming and inclusive opportunities for all alumni to connect with each other and students, and to offer engaging and valuable programming for life,” said Erin Essak Kopp, Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations and Executive Director of the Ohio University Alumni Association. “We especially look forward to staying connected with the class of 2021.”

Distinguished alumnus Chris Witherspoon — pop culture journalist, producer, entrepreneur, and '04 graduate of the Scripps College of Communication, will give the keynote address. Chris is excited to return to his alma mater as an ambassador for all LGBTQ+ OHIO graduates who have embarked on meaningful, authentic, and fulfilling careers. Chris says that his time at OHIO taught him valuable lessons that he hopes to share with 2021 graduates: “‘If you can’t see the example, be the example.’ I carried that with me during my time in Athens and to this very day.”

Chris Witherspoon is an entertainment journalist, producer, and entrepreneur with a signature, accessible approach to media and culture. He is currently the Founder & CEO of PopViewers. Chris served as an entertainment correspondent for Fandango and CNN, and was the Entertainment Editor for NBC’s theGrio.com. He still regularly appears on MSNBC, TODAY, The Wendy Williams Show, and NBC’s Nightly News; and has interviewed the likes of Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks, Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Viola Davis, Hugh Jackman, Denzel Washington, Harrison Ford and Kerry Washington. Witherspoon got his first taste of media as an intern with ABC’s Good Morning America, and has never looked back. He is an alum of the prestigious NBC Page Program and Ohio University.

If you have any questions leading up to OHIO Pride Graduation 2021, please contact Dr. Jan Huebenthal at huebenthal@ohio.edu.