A majority of Americans reject the radical notion that men should be allowed to play on women’s sports teams just because they “identify” as women.
A new Gallup News poll found that opposition to transgender athletes playing on teams that match their “gender identity” is rising, up to 69 percent in 2023 from 62 percent in 2021. At the same time, fewer Americans believe transgender athletes should be allowed to deviate from biological reality to play on teams in accordance with their “gender identity,” at 26 percent down from 34 percent in 2021.
The survey found that greater public opposition to transgender athletes competing on teams incongruent with their biology comes as more U.S. adults say they personally know a transgender person, up to 39 percent from 31 percent in 2021.
“But both Americans who know and do not know a transgender individual have become less supportive of allowing transgender athletes to play on the team of their choice,” according to the poll report. “Currently, 30 percent of those who know a transgender person favor allowing athletes to play on teams that match their current gender identity, down from 40 percent in 2021. Among those who do not know a transgender person, support is now 23 percent, down from 31 percent.”
By political affiliation, Republicans, Democrats, and independents are “all modestly less supportive of transgender athletes playing on current gender identity teams today than two years ago,” the survey found. Supermajorities of independents (67 percent) and Republicans (93 percent) remain opposed to giving transgender athletes a choice of competing on men’s or women’s teams.
Interestingly, Democrats “are now divided” on allowing transgender athletes to play on teams that match their “gender identity.” In 2021, 55 percent of Democrats said they support transgender athletes’ deviation from biological reality, compared to 47 percent in 2023.
“Political liberals are the lone major subgroup showing majority (57 percent) support for allowing transgender athletes to choose which team to play on,” the survey found.
This survey found that young people became slightly more supportive of transgender athletes ignoring their biology, up to 41 percent from 35 percent in 2021, though not a majority.
Gallup also asked respondents whether they believe change one’s sex is “morally wrong.” Once again, more Americans (55 percent) sided against transgender ideology than in 2021, when 51 percent said changing one’s sex is wrong. This year, 43 percent of those polled say changes one’s sex is “morally acceptable.”
“The view that changing one’s gender is morally acceptable has declined more among Republicans and people who do not know a transgender individual — down seven percentage points among both groups since 2021,” the survey found. “Meanwhile, roughly seven in 10 Democrats and six in 10 people who know a transgender individual continue to say gender change is morally acceptable. Independents are divided on the question, but their views, too, haven’t changed.”
By age group, younger adults ages 18 to 29 are more likely to dub sex changes “morally acceptable” (60 percent), than 30 to 49-year-olds (48 percent), and Americans 50 and older (32 percent). The survey found that older Americans are less likely now than in 2021 (39 percent) to believe sex changes are morally acceptable.
Gallup News summarized that, based on the poll results, “laws that restrict participation for transgender athletes are generally in line with U.S. public opinion on the issue.” The findings come as the Biden administration threatens to make federal funding contingent on schools allowing boys to play on girls’ sports teams, and as at least 20 states fight back to protect women and girls’ spaces.
“It appears that Americans view transgender sports participation more through a lens of competitive fairness than transgender civil rights,” the survey report states. “Even Democrats, who mostly support LGBTQ+ rights and affirm the morality of gender change, are divided on the issue of whether transgender athletes should be allowed to participate on teams that match their gender identity rather than birth gender.”
The Gallup News poll is in line with another poll released last week from PRRI which found a significant increase between 2021 and 2023 of Americans across various demographics embracing the fact that humans are either male or female.
According to that poll, 59 percent of Americans in 2021 said there are only men and women, while 40 percent believed there are “many gender identities.” By 2022, 62 percent believed in two sexes, while 35 percent believed in many gender identities. This year, the divide increased again, with 65 percent of Americans saying there are only two sexes and 34 percent saying there are many, the survey found.
The PRRI survey also found that every generation increasingly leaned toward believing in biological reality between 2021 and 2023. The trend is significant with Generation Z, given that the younger generation tends to vote for Democrats more and place less emphasis on traditional American values, such as patriotism, religion, and family structure.
“Younger generations are significantly less likely to believe that there are only two genders, but belief in a gender binary has increased among both Generation Z and millennials over the past several years,” the survey found. “In 2021, Generation Z (43 percent) and millennials (51 percent) were more closely aligned with each other on this question than they were with Generation X (65 percent), baby boomers (62 percent), and the Silent Generation (68 percent).”
“In 2023, Generation Z saw a jump in the belief that there are only two genders (rising to 57 percent, from 43 percent in 2021). In 2023, members of Generation Z (57 percent) and millennials (60 percent) still hold closer beliefs to each other on this question than they do to Generation X (71 percent), baby boomers (68 percent), and the Silent Generation (69 percent),” the survey report continues.
Additionally, the Washington Post-KFF poll released in May found that 62 percent opposed allowing trans athletes in youth sports, 66 percent opposed trans inclusion in high school sports, and 65 percent opposed trans inclusion in college and professional sports. Rasmussen Reports polls have found that 57 percent of Americans strongly agree that “there are [only] two genders, male and female.”
The Gallup News poll was conducted between May 1-24, with 1,011 U.S. adults. The margin of error is ±4 percent at the 95 percent confidence level.
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