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Community activist Ernie McCray, an alumnus of Tucson High and the UA, will serve as the event's keynote speaker.

By University Communications
May 5, 2008

The University of Arizona will hold its first Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Allied student commencement convocation ceremony on Wednesday.

The celebration is part of efforts by the UA’s Office of LGBTQ Affairs to honor and recognize LGBTQ and allied students who will be graduating in May. During the event, a loved one, friend or mentor will announce the graduate's name, read a statement and present the student with a rainbow tassel and certificate.

LGBTQ Affairs was established in 2007 to build, sustain and strengthen a safe, inclusive and open environment for employees, students, alumni, parents and guests of all gender identities and sexual orientations.

The event will be held at Pima Residence Hall with a reception following the individual recognition portion of the program. Speakers include Provost Meredith Hay, dean of students Carol Thompson, Wingspan executive director and UA alumni Jason Cianciotto and Alumni Association president Chris Vlahos. In addition, Edith Auslander will be recognized for her contributions to the LGBTQ campus community. 

Cathy Busha, director of the Office of LGBTQ Affairs believes that it is important for LGBTQ and Allied students to be acknowledged for their achievements. "Even on a campus as safe and welcoming as the UA, LGBTQ students sometimes experience invisibility and harrassment that can make attending school more difficult. This celebration is an opportunity for the community to come together and recognize their achievements," observed Busha. "For some of our graduating students, this is a culminating LGBTQ experience, and for others, its a first time to experience a predominatly LGBTQ event."

Tucson native and activist Ernie McCray will serve as the keynote speaker for the event.

McCray was born in Tucson in 1938. He is a retired educator who served 37 years in the San Diego Unified School District as a teacher, vice principal and a principal of schools from elementary through high school. A Tucson High School graduate, McCray has won many awards and honors in his life but high among them, he said, are being on the Wall of Fame at Tucson High for his contributions to the world and giving the baccalaureate address to the school’s graduating class in 2000.

McCray has gained noteriety as an advocate for the safety of LGBTQ youth in schools as a member of GLSEN (Gay Lesbian, Straight Education Network). In 2002, McCray testified to the California State Senate on the importance of addressing LGBTQ discrimination and harassment as early as elementary school when bullying often begins. 

McCray, a UA alumnus, was a star basketball player at the UA and still holds the University record for the most points scored in a game (46 points on Feb. 6, 1960).