Tufts University is organizing a three-day “Lavender Retreat” from September 26–28, 2025, exclusively for LGBTQ+ freshmen and sophomores. The program will focus on “queer and trans history,” “intersectionality,” and “oppression,” with a stated goal of developing “queer leadership” among participants. Organizers from Tufts’ LGBT Center specifically encourage attendance from students of color, trans and non-binary individuals, and first-generation college students.
Promotional materials describe the retreat as an opportunity for 20 LGBTQ+ students to “step outside their comfort zone” and engage in guided discussions about how they want to “show up as queer leaders.” Sessions will explore how race, gender, socioeconomic status, and disability shape LGBTQIA+ experiences. The LGBT Center claims the retreat is a way to foster “community accountability and justice” among participants.
The university’s promotional emphasis on prioritizing certain identities has raised questions about whether the program promotes inclusivity or deepens divisions by separating students into identity-based groups. Critics argue that events framed around “oppression” and “intersectionality” often push ideological narratives that conflict with traditional values and fail to encourage open dialogue.
This is not Tufts’ first foray into targeted identity programming. The school has previously offered similar events through its LGBT Center, aligning with a broader higher education trend that includes George Mason University’s “Lavender Orientation” and Western Washington University’s “Queerientation.” These programs present history and culture through a specific activist lens, which some say risks replacing academic neutrality with political activism.
