A recent Scripps News/YouGov poll has revealed that a significant portion of Americans is in favor of laws that limit transgender care for minors, even with parental consent. The poll, conducted between April 28 and May 1, 2023, surveyed 1,000 respondents and has a margin of error of +/- 3.84%. The results showed that 44% of Americans support such laws in their states, while 34% opposed them.
State Legislatures Make Decisions on Transgender Care
These findings come as state legislatures from Florida to Idaho have either concluded or are close to concluding their legislative sessions. Oklahoma recently became the sixteenth state to ban healthcare interventions for the treatment of gender dysphoria in minors, making it a felony for providers to administer that care. Montana followed suit, becoming the seventeenth state to implement such restrictions.
The Political Divide on Transgender Rights
Melissa Moore, associate research director at YouGov, explained that high-profile events like the protests in Montana, conservative backlash over transgender athletes, and a suspected transgender school shooter in Tennessee have turned transgender rights into an increasingly political issue. The divide between Democrats and Republicans on the matter is widening, with 75% of Republicans supporting restrictive measures, and 60% of Democrats opposing them.
Title IX Amendments and Transgender Athletes
The poll also explored opinions on allowing transgender females to participate in women’s sports. The majority of Americans (54%) expressed support for a federal ban on transgender females competing in school athletics, including 83% of Republican and 58% of independent voters. Just 34% of Democrats supported amending Title IX to bar transgender females from participating in women’s school sports, while 41% opposed such a ban.
The Growing Uncertainty Around Transgender Issues
Moore pointed out that the growing uncertainty around these issues makes interpretation difficult. About 1 in 5 respondents said they either don’t know enough or don’t have an opinion about the laws targeting minors’ care. The same was true for the question on transgender athletes competing in sports. The issue’s complexity and the increasing attention it receives may contribute to the uncertainty, with the party split becoming more evident.