A new public poll reflects Americans’ “mixed views” on transactional issues, Gallup says, as people said athletes should compete based on the gender on their birth certificate. Here protesters march against a bill restricting transgender girls from sports teams in Pierre, SD, in March. Toby Brusseau / AP Images for the human rights campaign Hide caption
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Toby Brusseau / AP Images for the human rights campaign
A new public poll reflects Americans’ “mixed views” on transactional issues, Gallup says, as people said athletes should compete based on the gender on their birth certificate. Here protesters march against a bill restricting transgender girls from sports teams in Pierre, SD, in March.
Toby Brusseau / AP Images for the human rights campaign
Americans strongly support members of the trans military service – even though they say trans athletes should compete in sports based on the gender on their birth certificate, according to a new Gallup poll.
In the survey, 66% of respondents said they are open to transgender men and women serving in the U.S. military. But only 34% said trans athletes are allowed to participate in sporting events that match their gender identity.
The poll, conducted earlier this month, reflects Americans’ “mixed views” on transactional issues, Gallup says. The numbers didn’t surprise Imara Jones, a journalist she’s the creator TransLash Media.
“Americans are respectful of the armed forces and believe that when the armed forces set a standard and when the people meet that standard, people can serve,” she says.
Sports bans for trans athletes, on the other hand, are “a solution to a problem,” says Jones, noting the small minority of transgender people in the United States
More than 30 states have introduced bills banning transgender female athletes from participating in school sports for girls and women, and a handful have passed absolute bans on transgender female athletes.
In relation to recently lifted ban that stopped transgender people from serving in the military, says Jones: “I think as [people] Start spending more time on it and focus on seeing that we will see a similar reversal “in sports bans targeting transgender athletes.
“I think this was one of the problems with the transmilitary ban,” she says, “that it was not an issue raised by the military or by members of the service.”
It remains to be seen, Jones says, whether people who still form an opinion about trans athletes will submit to the sporting authorities. After all, schools and sports federations would have looked at these issues for years before they became hot button issues.
“These organizations have said that transsexuals should be allowed to participate in sports that match their gender – that there is no impact, no difference,” says Jones.
In recent years, changes in attitudes towards gender and trans rights have been cited by younger generations. However, the survey found that most young people believe that transporters should compete according to the gender indicated on their birth certificate.
In the survey, 50% of Americans ages 18-29 said they had trans friends, relatives, or co-workers in their lives – a far higher percentage than any other age group. Respondents were more likely to support trans service members and athletes when they have a trans person in their life.
Despite this dynamic, 59% of people in the 18-29 age group said that trans athletes should compete according to the gender on their birth certificate – a percentage slightly higher than those in the 50-64 age group -Year-olds, 58% of whom are the same.
As Gallup puts it, “Changes in views on LGBT issues are often driven by generational changes, and right now young Americans hold views similar to their elders.”
Many Americans hadn’t considered transaction issues until recently. As Jones notes, most people in the US have no direct experience with a trans person.
Many Americans find out what they think about transaction problems – which they may not have thought of until a few years ago. What should people think about when steering these ideas?
When asked what Americans should do to navigate the ideas that are now prevalent in our society, Jones says they should start with education.
“You should look for trans resources or voices,” she says. “There are so many online of that Transgender Law Center to The Trevor Project to the Trans Journalists Association. You should learn about the problem first before making a decision. “
Jones adds, “I think people come to make decisions about it because they haven’t spent a lot of time thinking about it.”
