SAN DIEGO – As the end of the academic year approaches, San Diego State University (SDSU) held its third annual Lavender Graduation Celebration on Tuesday, to honor some of the school’s LGBT and ally graduates.

Nearly 100 people attended the afternoon ceremony, held in a ballroom in the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center, including graduates, their family, friends, and other special guests. Over 30 students participated in the ceremony and received a rainbow “honor cord,” a certificate, and a chance to address the crowd.

SAN DIEGO -- Nine local students were recognized Monday night at PFLAG San Diego's largest scholarship awards ceremony since the program began 15 years ago. Over 50 people attended the ceremony, held in a social hall at First United Methodist Church in Mission Valley.

After welcoming attendees to the event, Oliva Dorman, chair of PFLAG San Diego's Scholarship Committee, told the crowd that the event is organized each year to recognize the outstanding students in the LGBT community.

SAN DIEGO -- University of California San Diego's (UCSD)'s LGBT Resource Center will host its annual "Out and Proud Week" on the La Jolla campus April 23-27.

The purpose of the series of events is to give the LGBT community on the campus an opportunity to promote visibility, while celebrating and reflecting on the achievements of LGBTQI-identified students, staff, faculty and their allies.

Organizers also use the week to create public awareness and spark discussion about current LGBT issues on the state and national levels.

LOS ANGELES -- LGBT youth are invited to the upcoming "Queer Youth Empowerment Day," taking place Saturday, May 19, at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA).

The free conference is designed to bring LGBTQ youth of color as well as their teachers, parents and allies together for a unique educational experience at UCLA. Hosted by UCLA’s Project 1, the conference will explore the issues that LGBTQ youth of color face in the 21st century, with the hope of inspiring and empowering them to pursue higher education and become agents of transformative change in their communities.