The number of students who identify as transgender and nonbinary has tripled over the past four years, according to new polling data from the University of California.
The number of undergraduate students who identify as nonbinary across UC campuses increased by more than 2,000 from 2019 to 2023, according to data released in January.
According to reports san francisco chronicleLast year, the school changed its data collection process, collapsing the terms “nonbinary,” “genderqueer” and “gender nonconforming” into a single “nonbinary category.”
“Even accounting for that change, the number and percentage of students who identify as transgender or nonbinary increased significantly,” the paper notes.
From 2019 to 2023, the percentage of students who identify as gender nonconforming, nonbinary, or transgender tripled over the past four years, from 0.06 percent to 1.9 percent. While the majority of students were in the non-binary category, transgender men and women will be the least represented demographic in 2023 at 2 percent and 1 percent, respectively.
Meanwhile, the University of California, Berkeley reported a significant increase in transgender or nonbinary students (from 0.2 percent in 2019 to 1.8 percent in 2023).
around fox newsEm Huang, the university’s director of LGBTQ advancement and equity, said the school announced system-wide rules giving students the opportunity to use their chosen name and gender identity on nearly all official documents. He explained that this made it more appealing to transgender and non-binary students.
The university also plans to convert single-sex restrooms to gender-neutral restrooms.
In 2023, UC Santa Cruz had the largest nonbinary and transgender undergraduate population (4 percent and 1.1 percent).
The 2022 2U.S. Report Transgender Survey Initial Insights report found that 94 percent of respondents spent part of their lives identifying as another gender rather than their biological sex. They revealed that they were “much more satisfied” or “a little more satisfied” with their quality of life.
However, only 1 percent said they were “somewhat unsatisfied” with their lives, and just 2 percent said they were “very unsatisfied.”
Additionally, 39% reported being harassed on social media because of their gender identity in the last year. Meanwhile, 30% experienced verbal harassment during the same period.
The report also revealed that 62% of respondents confessed to being “very uncomfortable” or “somewhat uncomfortable” when talking to police or seeking help when faced with gender-related issues. did.
Meanwhile, the unemployment rate for those surveyed was nearly five times the U.S. national average (-18 percent).
Image credit: ©Getty Images/Devenorr
Milton Quintanilla is a freelance writer and content creator. He is a contributor to Christian Headlines and host of the For Your Soul Podcast, a podcast dedicated to sound doctrine and Biblical truth. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from Alliance Theological Seminary.
