A few reasons, this has been going on for 30-40 so it's not like it just bloomed. Secondly, when a professor gets a grant the majority of it goes to the school and no one churns out "studies" as much as liberal arts colleges, so their insanity is often encouraged.
Sadly it has started to spread, even in Eastern Europe. In Romania the political majority actually voted a law that prevents identity politics being studied in the academic circles.
The problem is that this majority is corrupt to the core and the only party that voted against the law (they are up and coming, with no corrupt politicians in their ranks, they seem progressive), the ones I voted for in the previous elections.
Now with their vote I don't know what to do anymore. The logical thing is to vote for them again, but their stance on gender studies and identity politics really let me down.
That was also said in my country. Universities are trying to open these new topics to be studied so they can ask for more money from the government.