Americans believe trans athletes should compete against biological gender, says new Gallup poll

A new poll released on Monday shows that most Americans believe transgender athletes “should only be allowed to compete on sports teams that conform their birth gender.”

According to the Gallup poll, conducted from May 1–24, 69% of Americans believe that transgender athletes should play on teams that match their biological gender, compared to 26% of Americans who believe they should play on teams corresponding with the gender they identify with. 

The results show a change from a similar poll Gallup carried out in 2021 when 34% of Americans thought transgender athletes could play on sports teams that match the gender they identify with. 

Gallup also revealed the results of the poll among party affiliation, showing that 93% of Republicans, 48% of Democrats, and 67% of independents believed that athletes should play in sports teams matching their biological gender.

Compared to the previous year, the figure increased by seven points for Republicans and Democrats, and four for independents. 

Additionally, responders who personally knew a transgender person appeared to be less supportive of allowing them to play in a team of the gender they identify as.

Only 30% of respondents who know a transgender athlete were in favor of allowing them to play on sports teams that match their current gender identity. The number decreased from 40% in 2021.  

“It appears that Americans view transgender sports participation more through a lens of competitive fairness than transgender civil rights. Even Democrats, who mostly support LGBTQ+ rights and affirm the morality of gender change, are divided on the issue,” said Gallup in a statement. 

The survey’s results come as the issue of gender and sports is being widely discussed throughout the nation. Several Republican states passed legislation prohibiting individuals from competing in teams of the gender they identify, instead of their biological genders.

The move comes after many transgender women have competed against biological women, dominating the competition.