Gallup Poll: 51% Say ‘Changing One’s Gender’ Is ‘Morally Wrong’

A majority of U.S. adults consider it “morally wrong” to “change” one’s gender, a Gallup Poll released Friday found.

“Changing one’s gender” is what Gallup described as a “contentious” topic among Americans. The survey asked respondents, “Regardless of whether or not you think it should be legal, for each one, please tell me whether you personally believe that in general it is morally acceptable or morally wrong. — Changing one’s gender.”

Fifty-one percent said it is “morally wrong,’ compared to 46 percent who said “morally acceptable.” The practice is more accepted among younger generations, as 55 percent of those 18-29 consider it “morally acceptable,” and 51 percent of those 30-49 consider it “morally acceptable.”

Those on the left are more likely to consider it acceptable, 78, compared to 76 percent of conservatives who believe it is wrong. Moderates are split at 48 percent each.

The survey also found 0.6 percent of U.S. adults identify as transgender.

Regardless of the issues, however, the survey found that Americans’ perspectives on hot button topics — from abortion to the death penalty — are “strongly related to (and perhaps influenced by) their own political ideology”:

The most polarizing issues are changing one’s gender and abortion with 55- and 54- point gaps, respectively, in liberals’ and conservatives’ views of them as morally acceptable.

There are significant ideological differences on all issues but medical testing on animals. Even so, majorities of liberals and conservatives are on the same side of the issue in 10 of 20 cases. On almost all of the rest, liberals find the practice morally acceptable, while Republicans disagree.

The survey, taken May 3-18, 2021, among  1,016 adults, has a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.