With LGBTQ Pride month officially underway, national debates continue to gain intensity among politicians and average American citizens, alike. Recent statewide policy updates in a variety of states have prohibited teachers and school staff from secretly counseling minors on gender transition. Support for such measures was reflected in a recent poll by Rasmussen, which showed that 71% of Americans believe there are only two genders, including 57% who strongly agree. 23% disagree, and 10% who strongly disagree. While majorities in every political category agree that there are only two genders, Democrats (47%) are less likely than Republicans (72%) or the unaffiliated (54%) to say they strongly Agree.
Majorities of every racial category – 55% of whites, 64% of blacks and 57% of other minorities – Strongly Agree that “there are two genders, male and female.” Blacks and other minorities are more likely than whites to believe schools and teachers should not be allowed to counsel students on their sexual and gender identities without parental knowledge or consent.
TRANSGENDERS AND MEDICAL PROCEDURES ON MINORS
Other notable results from Rasmussen’s survey cover the topic of youth and hormone replacement therapy. Key figures from the results include:
- 59% of Americans approving of laws banning hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for minors, with disapproving of laws against HRT for minors.
- Majorities in every political category also oppose transgender treatment for minors, especially sex-change surgery, with 73% of Republicans, 56% of Democrats and 59% of the unaffiliated at least somewhat approving of legislation making it illegal to perform such surgery on minors.
- Adults under 40 are less likely than their elders to believe there are only two genders. Americans ages 40-64 are most in favor of laws prohibiting sex-change surgery on minors.
TRANSGENDERISM IN EDUCATION
According to Rasmussen’s poll, only 26% of voters surveyed think schools and teachers should be allowed to counsel students on their sexual and gender identities without parental knowledge or consent, while 60% are opposed to such policies, and 14% are not sure.
Seventy-five percent of Republicans and 64% of those not affiliated with either major party are opposed to schools counseling children on gender identity without informing parents. A slight minority of Democrats (44%) oppose schools counseling children on gender identity without informing parents.
- 65% of women say schools and teachers should not be allowed to counsel students on their sexual and gender identities without parental knowledge or consent.
- 55% of men say schools and teachers should not be allowed to counsel students on their sexual and gender identities without parental knowledge or consent.
- Americans with children at home are more likely than their childless peers to approve of laws prohibiting transgender treatment of minors.
- Americans with annual incomes over $200,000 are most likely to believe schools and teachers should be allowed to counsel students on their sexual and gender identities without parental knowledge or consent, while those earning between $30,000 and $50,000 a year are most opposed to such counseling in schools.
The survey of 1,116 American Adults was conducted on May 24-25, 2023 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC.
Since 2004, O’Hern has worked with political campaigns in roles ranging from major projects involving nationwide digital marketing for U.S. Presidential candidates, U.S. Congressmen, state governors, and state representatives. O’Hern’s journalism background includes news reporting and editing for various organizations and news publications in Alabama and Florida since 2002. O’Hern graduated from Samford University in Birmingham, Ala with a degree in journalism and a minor in political science.