Polls in Texas, Arizona, and California show why Republicans are advocating for, introducing, and passing a wide range of legislation tackling the problem of transgenderism in the United States.
A poll conducted by Arizona State University, Stanford University, and the University of Houston suggests that the GOP’s focus on addressing transgenderism is strongly rooted in public opinion.
Proposed legislation restricting transgenderism is supported by the majority — or at least the plurality — of the general population in Texas, Arizona, and California, the poll showed.
The poll also found that such proposed legislation receives overwhelming support from each state’s Republican residents and that it divides each state’s Democrat residents.
The survey asked adults in Texas, Arizona, and California about their views regarding a ban on people who claim to be transgender choosing their preferred sex-designated restroom, a ban on transgender participation in women’s sports, and a ban on transgender-related medical interventions for children.
A young child holds a pair of trans pride flags at a noon gathering on the steps of the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson, as they protest House Bill 1125, which bans gender-affirming care for trans children, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)
The poll found that the majority of the general population in Texas and Arizona and the plurality of the general population in California support such bans.
In Texas, an absolute majority of 61 percent to 25 percent of respondents said they believe transgender individuals should use the restroom of their biological sex. In Arizona, 54 percent to 27 percent agreed, and in California, 45 percent to 35 percent concurred.
As for the topic of women’s sports, 68 percent to 16 percent of respondents in Texas said that only biological females should participate in women’s sports, with 63 percent to 20 percent agreeing in Arizona, and 53 percent to 26 percent having the same view in California.
When it came to trans-related medical procedures for children, 53 percent to 32 percent of respondents in Texas support legislation that would ban such practices, with 51 percent to 30 percent in Arizona supporting it, and 41 percent to 35 percent in California supporting such a ban.
Republican respondents in all three states overwhelmingly supported the three aforementioned bans.
In Texas and Arizona, roughly nine out of 10 Republicans supported all three proposed bans. In California, support for the bans among Republicans ranged from two-thirds for banning trans medical procedures on children to four-fifths for banning sex-preferred restrooms.
Sara D. Davis/Getty Images
Democrats were more divided than Republicans when it came to all three topics relating to transgenderism.
In all three states, half of Democrats said that trans-identifying individuals should be able to choose any restroom they want, with one-quarter of them saying they should not, and another quarter answering that they were unsure.
When it came to the topic of sports, Democrats in all three states were divided into thirds between respondents who supported proposed legislation to ban biological males from participating in women’s sports, those who opposed the ban, and those who were unsure.
Meanwhile, only a plurality of Democrats in all three states opposed laws banning transgender-related medical interventions for children. In Arizona and California, one-quarter of Democrat respondents opposed the ban, with one-third opposing such a ban in Texas.
This shows that tackling the problem of transgenderism is a good move for Republicans, as Republicans feel very strongly about it, and Democrats are very divided on the issue.
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
