A majority of American adults believe transgender athletes should not be allowed to compete on girls’ sports teams, with two-thirds saying they should be allowed “never” or only in “rare cases,” according to a new Los Angeles Times poll.
investigation, Conducted by NORC at the University of Chicagoasked respondents for their opinion on whether transgender athletes of any gender should be allowed to participate in sports leagues that correspond with their preferred gender identity rather than their biological sex.
The survey asked the same questions about adult and child transgender athletes, surveying U.S. adults overall, California adults, and LGBTQ+ adults separately.
When asked about competition between transgender girls and biological girls, California adults were statistically tied with U.S. adults in saying it should never or rarely be allowed, with 65% saying it should never or rarely be allowed.
When asked about adult transgender women athletes competing on girls’ sports teams, the responses were roughly the same, with 69% of U.S. adults expressing opposition.
The issue of biologically male athletes competing in women’s sports leagues after undergoing sex-reassignment treatment has become a national political hotbed, sparked by the controversial University of Pennsylvania swimmer Leah Thomas.
Thomas, a 24-year-old 6-foot-1 athlete, began using hormone therapy to transition in May 2019 after competing as a man for three years, and in March 2022, he showed impressive strength as the first transgender person to win an NCAA Division I title.
Competing as a man at the University of Pennsylvania, Thomas placed a mediocre 65th in the 500-yard freestyle and a dismal 554th in the 200. After her gender transition, she leapt to first place in the women’s division in the 500 and fifth in the 200.
The controversy over transgender athletes has primarily centered around trans women and transgender girls who were born male but now compete as biologically female, which many experts believe gives transgender athletes an unfair advantage.
But when asked how they felt about biological girls, or about women who transition and play in men’s sports, respondents’ opinions didn’t vary much.
When asked whether transgender boys should be allowed to compete on boys’ sports teams, 56% of U.S. adults responded “never” or “rarely,” compared to 55% of California adults and 33% of those who identify as LGBTQ+.
When asked whether transgender men should be allowed to play on men’s sports teams, each group’s response was also within the statistical margin of error.
In March, a group of 16 female athletes filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, which oversees college sports at about 1,100 schools in the United States, asking the organization to ban transgender women from participating in women’s sports.
The group also included Riley Gaines, a former swimmer from Kentucky who now hosts the Outkick podcast and has spoken candidly about not receiving the trophy after finishing tied with Thomas in the NCAA championship race.
In April, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NAIA), which governs athletics at 241 mostly small private colleges and universities, announced it would ban transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.
The LA Times/NORC poll was conducted Jan. 18-26, with a total of 1,624 respondents.
