While moral debates persist, a majority stand against legislative bans on gender-affirming treatments for minors.
A Country Divided
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_1637766493.jpg)
The United States of America has long been known as a country divided.
Hot Button Topic
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_2306194849-1.jpg)
The topic of transgender rights and gender-affirming care is no exception for a hot debate among American citizens.
A Look at Recent Data
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_1896248140.jpg)
Recent data from Gallup’s latest polls show that 51% of Americans believe that changing one’s gender is not morally right.
Morally Acceptable?
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/shutterstock_1313266643-1.jpg)
This is compared to 44% of Americans who believe that it is a morally acceptable decision to make.
Overwhelming Majority Against Bans
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/shutterstock_423625090-1-1.jpg)
But, regardless of the moral split, more than 6 in 10 American adults do not support creating legislative bans on gender-affirming care for transgender youth.
The Complexity
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/shutterstock_1511348996.jpg)
The moral vs. legislative split goes to show how complex this debate has become.
Shut Down in Florida
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_2319342295.jpg)
The U.S. District Court in Florida recently shut down the state’s attempted ban on medical treatments for transgender minors and declared it unconstitutional.
Alabama Pushes Through
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_554737516.jpg)
Meanwhile, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Alabama voted to uphold their own laws banning transgender treatment for minors called the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act.
Fragmented Opinions
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_2267095787-1.jpg)
American opinions on gender-affirming care for minors are very fragmented across the two sides of the aisle.
Liberal and Democratic Stance
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_2449054655.jpg)
Recent data shows that 81% of political liberals and 72% of Democrats do not find any moral issue with the care.
A Look at Religion
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_434094589.jpg)
Additionally, 67% of the religiously unaffiliated and 59% of infrequent churchgoers do not morally object to gender-affirming care.
The Younger Generations
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock_2249279771.jpg)
The same trends can be seen in young adults (56%) and college graduates (53%).
The Conservative Stance
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_1185179068.jpg)
The conservative, religious, and older generations land on the opposite end of this spectrum, believing gender-affirming care is immoral.
Female Voters Split
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/shutterstock_2301925055.jpg)
Women voters are quite split on the issue, shockingly more fragmented than male voters.
The Stats
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_2174857303.jpg)
Current data shows that 48% of female voters believe that changing one’s gender is morally acceptable, while 39% do not.
Lack of Support Remains
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_2269982403.jpg)
Regardless of their moral standing on the issue of transgender healthcare for minors, the majority of Americans do not support legislative bans on the care.
Gender-Affirming Care
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/shutterstock_2259920271-1.jpg)
Gender-affirming care, which includes both psychological counseling and various medical therapies, has taken center stage in swing states as the election looms near.
A Look at the Legislative Map
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shutterstock_1449056150.jpg)
As of now, 25 states have laws or policies that restrict transgender minor’s access to life-saving care.
Advocacy Groups Fight Back
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/shutterstock_2312145043.jpg)
It is also important to note that many of these states are now undergoing legal challenges on laws as advocacy and human rights groups fight back.
Values and Beliefs Poll
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/shutterstock_376185307-1.jpg)
The survey conducted by Gallup, called the annual Values and Beliefs Poll, asked the public about the bans in two different ways.
Changing the Phrasing
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_1064028809.jpg)
First, they asked what citizens thought about bans specifically on “treatments and medical procedures” while the other question was phrased to include “psychological support, hormonal treatments, and medical surgeries”.
Only One-Third
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_535286656-1.jpg)
Results did not vary too much between the two questions, showing that only ⅓ of U.S. adults support the legislative bans.
Across the Aisle
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_2193751699.jpg)
Looking at the different political parties, Republicans (53%) were much more inclined than both the Democrats (25%) and the independents (34%) to support the bans.
Wording Matters
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/shutterstock_1449056204.jpg)
The survey found that Republican support for the anti-trans legislation drops to 45% when the question is worded more vaguely, while the other two parties remained steady.
Data on Generational Identification
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_2114880317-1.jpg)
Gallup’s survey data also showed that only 0.9% of U.S. adults identify as transgender, with the largest population falling within Gen Z.
Why the Divide?
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_670276300.jpg)
There are many reasons why American adults may be split on the issue of not morally supporting transgender youth but also not supporting a legislative ban on their care.
Don’t Take My Guns (Or My Cigarettes)
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/shutterstock_216021430.jpg)
It could be due to American’s general lack of support for any type of ban (i.e. smoking, guns) or due to the wording of the proposed legislation.
Republican Divide
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/shutterstock_1939096882-1.jpg)
There is still quite a gap between grassroots Republican opinion on the matter compared to Republican-majority legislatures, creating a possible rift in the Republican party.
21 Beliefs About the Bible That Are Actually False
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-pixabay-161034-1.jpg)
The Bible is one of the most discussed and debated books in history, yet many common beliefs about it are more myth than fact. How many of these misconceptions have you heard before? 21 Beliefs About the Bible That Are Actually False
21 Subtle Racisms That Are Commonplace in America
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/shutterstock_1807039726-1.jpg)
Racism in America isn’t always overt; it often hides in plain sight through subtle actions and attitudes. How many of these subtle racisms have you noticed around you? 21 Subtle Racisms That Are Commonplace in America
Only Legal in America: 21 Things You CAN’T Do in the Rest of the World
![](https://pulseofpride.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pexels-ivan-samkov-9643169.jpg)
The U.S. dances to its own beat, especially when it comes to laws that make the rest of the world do a double-take. Here’s a lineup of things that scream “Only in America,” sticking strictly to what’s written in the law books. Ready for a tour through the American legal landscape that’ll leave you wondering if freedom might just be a bit too free? Only Legal in America: 21 Things You CAN’T Do in the Rest of the World
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Nuva Frames.