A new national poll found that a majority of registered voters (59%) support a federal ban on transgender procedures such as puberty blockers and gender reassignment surgery for minors.
The strongest support for a federal ban was among registered Republicans (82%), while the lowest was among registered Democrats (36%).
Opinion polls showed a majority of independents supported the ban, with 56% in favor.
The Center Square Voter Voice poll was conducted by Noble Predictive Insights from Oct. 2-4 and surveyed 2,560 registered voters. The error range for the aggregated sample was ±2.1%.
The poll found that while both men and women support a federal ban on transgender procedures for minors, men are more likely to support it, with 63% supporting it compared to 56% of women.
Of the ethnic groups surveyed, 63% of “others” were most supportive of the ban, compared with 61% of whites.
Among registered black voters surveyed, 46% supported the ban, 32% opposed it, and 22% were undecided.
Among age groups, those ages 45-54 and 54-65 are most in favor of a federal ban, both at 61%, while 18-34 is least supportive, still at 52%. It accounts for the majority. Supports banning proceedings against minors.
Voters with a college degree and voters without a college degree both supported a federal ban, but voters without a college degree supported it, at 61%, and voters with a college degree, 55%, supported a ban.
Voters with children were more likely to support the ban than voters without children, 61% to 52%, respectively.
Geographically, rural voters were more likely to support a ban than suburban and urban voters, at 64% versus 57% and 58%, respectively.
By region, the Northeast had the least support for a federal ban, with 51% in favor.
The South was most supportive at 61%, followed by the Midwest at 60%. Voters in Western countries supported the ban by 59%.
Transgender procedures for minors are currently prohibited in 25 states, including states with the highest number of transgender procedures per capita in the nation, according to data from the nonprofit group Do No Harm. This includes the state of Ohio.
According to Do No Harm data released last week, at least 13,994 transgender surgeries were performed on minors across the United States between 2019 and 2023, Center Square reported.
Do No Harm is a nonprofit organization of physicians and other medical professionals whose name comes from the Hippocratic oath: “First, do no harm.”
According to its website, Do No Harm “fights to curtail the unscientific and personally harmful practice of so-called 'gender-affirming care'” for children.
“Republicans have public opinion on their side on many issues surrounding transgender rights and students and youth,” David Byler of Noble Predictive Insights wrote in an email to The Center Square. If you look at Republican ads, there's a reason why they're always talking about this and other related issues. And some prominent Democrats are pushing a moderate, rather than leftist, message. ”
He added: “Republicans know that transgender issues are a strong social issue for them, and since Dobbs they've been hit so hard on abortion so many times that they're sure to push back and do things that are beneficial to them.” “We want to find social problems that are important to us,” he added.
