There’s been a shift in public opinion on the issue of transgender athletes.
A new Gallup poll found that 69% of respondents believe transgender athletes should compete under the gender they were assigned at birth. That’s up from 62% who held that belief in a 2021 Gallup poll.
A related question showed a similar shift in attitudes, with 26% saying athletes should be allowed to compete under the gender with which they identify. That’s down from 34% in that 2021 poll.
Former NCAA swimmer Riley Gaines, an activist working to oppose transgender athletes competing against women, said the shift in numbers shows a growing consensus.
“While this should never have become a political issue, there are very few issues that the majority of the general public can agree on, but this is one of them,” Gaines said (via Fox News). “The pendulum has swung too far, and people are beginning to see what’s at stake if it continues.
“The percentage of Americans who disagree with allowing men to compete in women’s sports will only increase, but unfortunately, more girls will be injured, exploited in a locker room, and lose out on opportunities in the meantime.”
Gallup’s statement accompanying the poll notes people were looking at the issue through a competitive fairness point of view.
“It appears that Americans view transgender sports participation more through a lens of competitive fairness than transgender civil rights,” Gallup stated.”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.”
[Fox News]
