By The FirstThe national perspective on the inclusion of transgender athletes in competitive sports is seeing a significant shift, according to a new Gallup poll released on Monday. The poll revealed that a majority of Americans now believe transgender athletes should compete against athletes of their biological gender rather than the gender they identify as.
Gallup reported that 69% of Americans now believe that transgender athletes should only compete in sports based on their biological gender. On the other hand, only 26% believe that transgender athletes should compete in teams that correspond to their self-identified gender.
These results show a discernible increase in such attitudes from the year 2021 to 2023. Two years ago, the same Gallup poll reported that 62% of Americans thought transgender athletes should play in teams based on their biological gender, while 34% supported participation based on self-identified gender.
Moreover, the recently released poll data exhibits a notable variance when analyzed based on party affiliation. A remarkable 93% of Republican respondents held the belief that transgender athletes should only participate in sports teams that match their biological gender. Among Democrats, the number was significantly lower, but still substantial, with 48% expressing the same belief. Independents came closer to the national average with 67% in agreement.
