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We’ll get back to the music on 120 Minutes in just a moment, but first, it’s 12:30 and it’s time to check the news, for this week, December 27th.

The Kentucky Kernel reported this week that trans and nonbinary students at UK are feeling “unsafe, unwelcome, and uncomfortable” after the university quietly eliminated gender-inclusive housing. Trans students living on campus who had not yet updated their gender marker with UK to match their identity before the registrar abruptly stopped allowing updates in October, as well as all new students, will be placed in dorms based only on their assigned sex at birth. The Kernel reported that UK’s PR office said the reason for these actions is to comply with “state, federal, and university policies,” listing Kentucky House Bill 4, the U.S. Civil Rights investigation, and a Department of Justice memo as reasons for the removal of gender-inclusive housing. However, the Kernel reports that none of the directives that UK cited actually mention the words “gender,” “trans,” or “nonbinary.” One trans student told the Kernel, “The lack of fight makes me think less of them. Not standing up for what is factually correct doesn’t look good for an educational institution.” A faculty advisor in the Engineering department told the Kernel, “It feels like things have gotten worse and there’s nothing I can do to protect my students from the fallout.”

The Kernel also spoke this week with Emma Curtis, Lexington’s first trans city council member, who said that UK is acting with what she called “preemptive compliance.” Curtis told the Kernel, “They went above and beyond the minimum that was required by law. The idea that it’s somehow illegal to put an optional checkmark on a form to help pair roommates with similar lived experiences is just false.” She went on to say, “The fact that UK didn’t even communicate this beforehand shows what little regard they have for trans and nonbinary students.” Emma Curtis also told the Kernel that the stakes are higher than UK acknowledges. She said, “It’s a real safety hazard for trans students if they’re not able to be housed with others who are going to respect their basic humanity.” She continued, “I want to reassure LGBTQ* students that they have rights and protections under Lexington’s local fairness ordinance. They have a place and a future in our city, and we will cherish them, even if UK won’t.”

In follow-up on other news, the New York Times reported Tuesday that the University of Oklahoma has now fired an instructor over her decision to fail a student’s paper on gender that cited the Bible as its only source and called the existence of multiple genders “demonic.” Oklahoma did not respond to the Times’ questions about how it arrived at the decision to fire her. The Times also reported Wednesday that Texas A&M University decided not to reinstate an instructor who it fired after she taught students about gender identity and expression, even after an appeals panel found that her dismissal was not justified. The decision is expected to set off a court battle over academic freedom, as Trump continues his assault on higher education, trying to force universities to embrace his vision of the world, the Times reported.

Finally tonight, some personal commentary from me as we wrap up this frankly terrible year of 2025. I want to commend the students at the Kentucky Kernel, in particular their news editor Laurel Swanz, for their fearless reporting about the anti-speech and anti-diversity compliance actions taken by UK this year that have hurt minority students, faculty, and staff here on campus. Much of the leadership of this institution has disappointed me with their unwillingness to use their platforms to bring attention to these ongoing and important issues. Even this station no longer allows anyone to write about issues like these in its publications, citing HB4’s “viewpoint neutrality” restrictions. However, as we’ve seen in the Kernel’s excellent and thorough reporting this year, addressing the reality of what’s happening to marginalized people on this campus and publishing what they have to say about it is not against the law. At a time when it feels like everyone is running scared from the truth, I thank the Kentucky Kernel for having the courage to report it. Luckily, this station does still allow its members to use their First Amendment rights on the airwaves. As a result, I introduced these weekly news reports on our program this year. I hope you’ve found them informative, enlightening, and that you’ve learned something that you might not have heard about otherwise. I hope you join us as I bring you more news stories in 2026, every Friday night at 12:30, starting January 9th.

And that’s… the news.