West
University of California campuses see dramatic rise in students identifying as transgender or non-binary
The University of California system is seeing a staggering increase in the number of students who identify as either transgender or non-binary.
According to data released in January, the number of undergraduate students identifying as non-binary across UC system campuses rose by over 2,000 from 2019 to 2023.
The San Francisco Chronicle noted that last year, the UC changed its data collection processes and consolidated the terms “non-binary,” “genderqueer” and “gender non-conforming” into a singular “non-binary category.”
“Even taking into account that shift, the number and percentage of students identifying as trans or non-binary increased significantly,” the paper noted.
The percentage of students identifying as gender non-conforming, non-binary or transgender has also tripled over the last four years (.06% in 2019 to 1.9% in 2023). Most of the students fell under the non-binary category, while transgender men and women were identified as the smallest demographic in 2023, at .2% and .1%, respectively.
POLL FINDS AMERICANS DON’T THINK BIOLOGICAL MEN SHOULD COMPETE IN WOMEN’S SPORTS: ‘PENDULUM HAS SWUNG TOO FAR’
A pedestrian walks by a sign in front of the U.C. Berkeley campus on July 22, 2020, in Berkeley, California. ((Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images))
UC Berkeley reported a major uptick in the number of students identified as transgender or gender non-conforming, rising from .2% in 2019 up to 1.8% in 2023.
The university’s Director of LGBTQ Advancement and Equity, Em Huang, said a systemwide rule allowing students to use a name of their choice and gender identity on nearly all official documents may have made the school more appealing to transgender and non-binary students.
The university is also in the process of converting many gendered bathroom stalls into gender-neutral bathrooms.
UC Santa Cruz had the largest non-binary and transgender undergraduate population in 2023 (4% and 1.1.%).
The data on UC schools comes after the results of the 2022 U.S. Transgender Survey Early Insights report, the largest survey of transgender people in the United States, was released.
FOX NEWS POLL: VOTERS WANT SCHOOLS TO TEACH MORE ABOUT GOOD CITIZENSHIP AND LESS ABOUT GENDER IDENTITY
Students walk past Sather Gate on the University of California at Berkeley campus in Berkeley, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot, File)
Ninety-four percent of respondents who had lived at least part of their life in a different gender than their birth sex reported they were “a lot more satisfied” or “a little more satisfied” with the quality of their life.
Only 1% of respondents said they were “a little less satisfied” with their life and only 2% said they were “a lot less satisfied.”
However, 39% of those surveyed said they had been harassed on social media because of their gender identity in the last year. Thirty percent also reported verbal harassment over the same period.
Sixty-two percent of respondents admitted they were “very uncomfortable” or “somewhat uncomfortable” talking to police or asking for help when they experienced issues related to their gender.
The new report also determined that the unemployment rate among those surveyed was almost five times the U.S. national average (-18%).
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Utah
Utah man dies of injuries sustained in avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — A man died after he was caught in an avalanche in Big Cottonwood Canyon over the weekend.
A spokesperson for the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office confirmed on Thursday that Kevin Williams, 57, had died.
He, along with one other person, was hospitalized in critical condition after Saturday’s avalanche in the backcountry.
MORE | Big Cottonwood Canyon Avalanche
In an interview with 2News earlier this week, one of Williams’ close friends, Nate Burbidge, described him as a loving family man.
“Kevin’s an amazing guy. He’s always serving, looking for ways that he can connect with others,” Burbidge said.
A GoFundMe was set up to help support Williams’ family.
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Wyoming
Casper veteran David Giralt joins race for Wyoming U.S. House seat
West
Registered sex offender’s city council bid sparks fury as officials explore blocking his path
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A registered sex offender convicted in a child sex abuse material case is seeking elected office in California — launching a campaign for Fresno City Council amid fierce backlash and renewed questions about whether someone with his record should hold public office.
Rene Campos, a Fresno native required to register as a sex offender, has announced plans to run for the District 7 seat on the Fresno City Council.
Campos was charged in 2018 with possession of child sex abuse material, according to court records. He has said he pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge and is now a registered sex offender.
His opponent, Nav Gurm, says the campaign has transformed what should be a local race focused on infrastructure and public safety into a national controversy.
Rene Campos in a 2018 booking photo related to a child sex abuse material possession case. Campos, now a registered sex offender, has launched a campaign for Fresno City Council. (State of California Department of Justice)
“His candidacy is a slap in the face to families and children in Fresno,” Gurm told Fox News Digital. “They deserve a councilmember who can show up at their schools and in their neighborhoods without restriction.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Campos defended his candidacy, arguing he has met all legal requirements.
“I satisfied every legal obligation imposed under the laws this state enacted for accountability and rehabilitation,” Campos said.
CONVICTED KILLER KEPT IN POLICE OVERSIGHT ROLE AS CITY COUNCIL DISMISSES CONCERNS OVER PUBLIC SAFETY
The entrance to Fresno City Hall in Fresno, California. The District 7 City Council seat is up for election amid controversy surrounding a registered sex offender candidate. (James Ward, Visalia Times-Delta via Imagn Content Services, LLC)
“If those same laws can be set aside when politically inconvenient, then we are not debating one candidacy — we are testing whether the rule of law is stable or selective. Democracy depends on consistent standards. When eligibility shifts under pressure, public confidence weakens. Voters decide elections — not political preference.”
Under California law, registered sex offenders are not automatically barred from seeking or holding local office as long as they meet voter registration and residency requirements.
But Gurm argues that legality does not equate to fitness for office.
CHILD PREDATOR DUBBED ‘MONSTER PARENTS FEAR MOST’ CLEARED FOR RELEASE THROUGH CALIFORNIA PAROLE PROGRAM
“While it may not be a legal disqualification, it’s a disqualification in practice,” he said. “If you can’t fully participate in school events, youth gatherings and community activities, you can’t fully do the job.”
Gurm is urging state lawmakers to amend eligibility standards.
“I urge the Fresno City Council and the California State Legislature to push forward legislation making lifetime sex offender registration an explicit disqualification for holding public office,” he said.
NEW JERSEY POLICE SERGEANT, FORMER DEM MAYOR ALLEGEDLY DRUGGED, SEXUALLY ASSAULTED CHILD HE MET ONLINE
Nav Gurm, a candidate for Fresno City Council District 7, has called on his opponent to withdraw from the race amid controversy. (Nav Gurm for Fresno City Council Campaign Team)
The backlash has extended beyond campaign opponents.
Fresno City Council President Mike Karbassi said he believes voters will reject Campos and suggested he would oppose him taking office if elected.
“When it comes to the safety and welfare of our children, your past matters,” Karbassi said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “So long as I am Council President, I will not permit him to be seated on the Fresno City Council.”
VICTIM FEARS FOR OTHERS AFTER CALIFORNIA PAROLE BOARD APPROVES RELEASE OF CONVICTED CHILD PREDATOR
It remains unclear what legal authority, if any, the council president would have to prevent an elected candidate from assuming office.
Outgoing Councilman Nelson Esparza, who currently represents District 7 and is termed out, also criticized the campaign.
“Regardless of any rehabilitation, he needs to find a different line of work,” Esparza told Fox News Digital. “So much of what I do in this district is for and with respect to our children and youth. I don’t see any reasonable way someone with registered sex offender status could effectively do this job.”
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Esparza noted that councilmembers regularly participate in school initiatives and that children frequently visit City Hall for tours and meetings. He said councilmembers are examining possible municipal policy changes and urging legislative action at the state level.
The District 7 seat will open when Esparza’s term expires. Candidates face a filing deadline in early March, and the primary election is scheduled for June.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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