Nearly 70 percent say that athletes born male should not be allowed to play against natural-born women, a recent Gallup poll found.
In fact, 55 percent say it is “morally wrong” to change one’s gender, the Gallup poll released Monday found, NBC News reported.
The numbers are notable because it shows that transgenderism has lost ground, and opposition has grown since the same question was asked in 2021 when 62 percent said they opposed transgender women playing alongside and against female athletes.
The poll also saw an increase in those who feel it is “morally wrong” to “change one’s gender.” In 2021, 51 percent said gender affirmation was immoral. Today, it is 55 percent.
“Transgender sports participation has also become a major political flashpoint, and elected officials in conservative-leaning states have enacted laws to ban transgender athletes who were born male from competing against female athletes,” Gallup wrote in its news report on the poll. “At least 20 U.S. states now have such laws, and the Republican-led U.S. House recently passed a national ban. The federal ban is unlikely to pass the Senate, and President Joe Biden has promised to veto it. The White House recently released a proposed set of guidelines to govern decisions surrounding transgender individuals’ participation in gender-segregated sports.”
University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas accepts the winning trophy for the 500 Freestyle finals as second place finisher Emma Weyant and third place finisher Erica Sullivan watch during the NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships on March 17th, 2022, at the McAuley Aquatic Center in Atlanta, Georgia. (Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Those who said they actually know someone who claims to be transgender has grown up to 39 percent from the 31 percent seen in 2021.
The poll found that acceptance of trans athletes has dropped across the board. In 2021, ten percent of Republicans thought trans athletes should be allowed to play on teams that match their identity, versus only six percent today. Independents have also lost support for trans athletes. Thirty-three percent of independents supported trans athletes choosing their gender category, but that has fallen to 28 percent in this year’s survey. But, while Democrats have much higher levels of support for trans athletes, even among Democrats, that support is waning. In 2021, 55 percent sided with trans athletes. Today, that has fallen to 47 percent.
Also, in 2021, 34 percent overall said that trans athletes should be allowed to play as their assumed gender. This year, that number has fallen to 26 percent.
Riley Gaines speaks during a discussion on transgender athletes In women’s sports during a National Girls and Women in Sports Day event on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Feb. 01, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Gallup concludes that states moving to limit or ban trans athletes from playing as the gender they have assumed are on the right track.
“Laws that restrict participation for transgender athletes are generally in line with U.S. public opinion on the issue,” Gallup wrote.
The poll was conducted from May 1 to May 24 via telephone interviews with roughly 1,000 adults living in the U.S.
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