Today, San Diego State is holding the fourth annual Rainbow Flag Raising Ceremony, which will signal the beginning of a weeklong celebration hosted by the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community in San Diego.

Featured in the event will be a flag autographed by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker, the man who originally designed the colorful symbol in 1978 to reflect the diversity among the LGBT community.

The program is set to begin at 11 a.m. in front of Hepner Hall. Attendees will hear speeches from university members and community leaders before the flag is raised for the day.

This serves as one of many choices the university has taken in recent years to become a more LGBT-friendly campus, Chief Diversity Officer Aaron Bruce said, by providing support for the culture and showing ongoing commitment against sexual prejudice.

“SDSU has come a long way in supporting this movement,” Associated Students Government Executive Assistant Ben Cartwright said. “It shows the campus community that LGBT are a valued part of this campus’ fabric.”

To end the week, SDSU President Elliot Hirshman will join Associated Students and the local community in the 37th anniversary of the San Diego LGBT Pride Parade this Saturday.

Pride, the largest civic gathering in the city, aims to bring together the skills, talents and vision of the diverse community through cultural and educational programs.

Students interested in representing SDSU in the parade are encouraged to sign up at the Intercultural Relations website. The first 100 participants to sign up and arrive will receive a free ‘Aztec Pride’ shirt, Cartwright said.

The registration deadline is at 4:30 p.m this Friday.

SDSU was one of 19 universities in the U.S. that earned five stars in Campus Pride’s 2010 Climate Index of LGBT-friendly campuses. The nonprofit analyzes how accepting and safe the population is to the LGBT community.