SDSU Applauded for Its Support of LGBTQ+ Students
The Campus Pride Index ranks SDSU No. 14 nationally, with a perfect five-star rating.
In an annual announcement tied to Pride Month, San Diego State University maintained its perfect five-star rating in a new ranking of the nation’s top LGBTQ+-friendly schools.
The 2021 list of “Best Colleges for LGBTQ+ Students,” developed by the Campus Pride Index and BestColleges, notes The Pride Center and campuswide training and awareness initiatives as features of SDSU’s progressivism for LGBTQ+ students.
Also contributing to the ranking is the university’s major and minor in LGBTQ studies.
SDSU ranks No. 14 nationally in the Campus Pride Index and is the only public university in California with a five-star rating, a distinction the university first received in 2010.
“We are incredibly proud of the cross-divisional efforts on campus to support LGBTQ+ students,” said Jessica Nare, assistant vice president for community and belonging in SDSU’s Division of Student Affairs and Campus Diversity.
“This recognition is a testament to the work of The Pride Center, LGBTQ Studies, the Pride ERG, SafeZones and other advocates at SDSU who work tirelessly to ensure that LGBTQ+ students thrive during their time on our campus and beyond,” Nare added.
Located on Campanile Drive, The Pride Center offers a safe and affirming gathering space for persons of all sexual and gender identities and their allies. Its resources include counseling, a peer mentoring program, and a Pride Employee Resource Group. The SafeZones initiative offers an Ally Training program for faculty, staff and students as part of the university’s commitment to safety for the LGBTQ+ community.
At the Pride Center, assistant director Wesley Palau said: “We believe in centering holistic community care, while continuing to support and connect our Queer community with a myriad of growing opportunities, resources, and connections.” Information on events and involvement, Palau said, can be found at Instagram @sdsupridecenter.
SDSU was the second university in the United States and the first in California to offer a major in LGBTQ studies, and began an annual Lavender Graduation ceremony in 2010.
