Most Americans support transgender health care and sports bans — yet they oppose discrimination

trans joy is real flag LGBTQIA Trans rights protest on Parliament Square in London

BradleyStearn/Shutterstock

"Trans joy is real flag" at trans rights protest in Parliament Square, London

Most Americans support banning gender-affirming care for youth and preventing trans athletes from participating on teams that align with their identity — yet they also support anti-discrimination laws protecting trans people.

The majority of Americans support transgender sports and health care restrictions — yet they also support anti-discrimination laws protecting trans people.

About two-thirds (66 percent) of adults in the United States support laws that require trans athletes to compete on teams that match their sex assigned at birth, according to a new survey from the Pew Research Center. Over half (56 percent) also support legislation banning health care professionals from providing gender-affirming care to minors, and 53 percent oppose than favor policies requiring health insurance companies to cover care related to gender transitions.

Just under half of U.S. adults (49 percent) said they support policies requiring trans people to use public bathrooms that match their sex at birth. Slightly less (47 percent) are in favor of making it illegal for public school districts to teach about gender identity in elementary schools.

The American Medical Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, the World Medical Association, and the World Health Organization all agree that gender-affirming care is evidence-based and medically necessary not just for adults, but minors as well.

Trans people are more likely to face harassment when using bathrooms that align with their sex at birth than in facilities that match their identities, according to a new report from the Williams Institute. A comprehensive review of several studies on trans participation in sports under their gender identity found that trans athletes, post transition, are "more similar to their gender identity." It noted that cisgender athletes also show great variations in ability.

Trending stories

Despite the evidence, more U.S. adults support laws that limit protections for trans people now than in 2022. The PRC survey found that support for gender-affirming care bans has gone up ten percentage points in the past three years, sports and bathroom ban support has gone up 8 percentage points, and classroom content restriction support has gone up six percentage points.

There are still "wide partisan gaps in views of trans issues," the report notes, as Democrats are more likely to oppose such laws. However, the survey found that support for these restrictions among Democrats has increased nine percentage points since 2022 — up to 35 percent from the previous 26 percent. Support for restrictions among Republicans increased seven percentage points, bringing the total from 72 percent in 2022 to 79 percent now.

At the same time, 56 percent of U.S. adults said that they support policies aimed at protecting trans people from discrimination in jobs, housing, and public spaces. This has decreased eight percentage points since 2022.

In just his first two weeks back in office, Donald Trump signed executive orders denying the existence of transgender people, attempting to ban banning gender-affirming care for those under 19, banning trans athletes from teams and facilities that align with their identity, and revoking 1960s civil rights protections.

Trump's gender-affirming care ban has already been blocked by the courts, as have his orders abolishing anti-DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) programs and mandating trans inmates be moved to facilities that align with their sex at birth, each being deemed by federal judges to be unconstitutional. There are also ongoing lawsuits against his ban on trans people in the military and his order only recognizing two sexes, which have been forcefully rebuked by federal judges during initial hearings.

From Your Site Articles