Recent polling indicates a growing number of Americans are leaning towards biological realities over transgender identities, particularly regarding President Donald Trump’s approach to the topic.
Approximately 68% of individuals surveyed believe that a person’s sex is determined by their biological traits at birth. While it’s acknowledged that one can identify as a different gender, the poll, conducted by AP-NORC, highlights significant support for biological definitions.
Interestingly, the rejection of gender ideology is not limited to Republicans; about 44% of Democrats also favor biological perspectives over the concept of gender identity. Among independents, 74% share this view. Despite this, 54% of Democrats still support the notion of gender identity.
The survey also revealed that 66% of Americans oppose public funding programs, like Medicare and Medicaid, that provide “gender-affirming healthcare,” including hormone therapy and puberty blockers for those under 19 who identify as transgender or non-binary.
It’s noteworthy that a substantial number of independents and Republicans are against public funding for these medical procedures. Additionally, 53% of individuals oppose public insurance covering surgical treatments and medications related to gender transition for those over 19 who identify as transgender or non-binary, including 30% of Democrats.
On the topic of school policies, 43% expressed strong opposition to allowing students to use bathrooms that align with their self-identified gender rather than their biological sex. Many believe that teachers should notify parents if students identify as transgender or non-binary.
The public opinion is more split when it comes to transgender individuals serving in the military, with 37% supporting it while 26% oppose it, and the remainder undecided.
Additionally, a majority of Americans, 52%, approve of Trump’s approach to transgender issues, with 90% of Republicans and almost half of independents showing approval. Trump has issued several executive orders aimed at reinforcing the reality of two genders and protecting women’s sports from transgender participation. His administration is also focused on accountability for promoting gender ideologies in place of factual biological truths.
Interestingly, 19% of Democrats support Trump’s handling of these matters, despite only 9% expressing approval for his overall performance as president.
The AP-NORC poll, conducted between May 1 and 5, 2025, involved 1,175 adults in the U.S. and has a margin of error of ±4 percentage points. This data appears to reflect a shift towards favoring biological realities compared to previous years.
For context, a Harvard/Harris poll from 2021 showed that 62% of Americans believed gender could not be changed. In a surprise finding from a 2022 Economist/YouGov survey, only 56% thought biological sex was immutable. The new poll suggests a decline in the acceptance of gender ideology among Democrats compared to earlier surveys, like the same 2022 Economist/YouGov poll, where 66% of Democrats believed gender identity could differ from one’s sex assigned at birth. The current poll shows that agreement has decreased to 54%.
