According to a recent Gallup poll, Americans today are less supportive than they were two years ago of allowing male athletes to compete in women’s sports.
“A larger majority of Americans now (69%) than in 2021 (62%) say transgender athletes should only be allowed to compete on sports teams that conform with their birth gender,” the poll reported. “Likewise, fewer endorse transgender athletes being able to play on teams that match their current gender identity, 26%, down from 34%.”
“Transgender” participation in sports has become a political flashpoint. Already, 20 states have passed legislation to protect female athletes and the integrity of women’s sports. The House of Representatives recently passed a national bill preventing males from competing in events meant for women. President Biden, however, has promised to veto the bill if it passes in the Senate.
The number of people personally acquainted with someone who claims to be “transgender” also grew, from 31% in 2021 to 39% in 2023. However, the poll also found a decrease in the number of people who both know someone who is “transgender” and support that person’s subsequent participation on sports teams associated with the opposite of their true sex.
“Currently, 30% of those who know a transgender person favor allowing athletes to play on teams that match their current gender identity, down from 40% in 2021,” Gallup reported. “Among those who do not know a transgender person, support is now 23%, down from 31%.”
Additionally, public opinion in the last two years has shifted on the morality of “transgenderism.”
“A majority, 55%, consider ‘changing one’s gender’ to be more ‘morally wrong,’ while 43% say it is ‘morally acceptable,’” the recent poll found. More people now believe ‘changing one’s gender’ is morally wrong, and fewer now believe it is ‘morally acceptable. In 2021, 51% of respondents” thought changing one’s gender was morally wrong, and 46% morally acceptable.”
