A new YouGov study has recorded an ‘overall gradual erosion’ in support of the objectives of some transgender activists — including a fall in those who agree with the statement that “a trans woman is a woman” and a large majority now believing that those born male should not be allowed to compete in women’s sports.
The study, conducted by the international market research and data analytics firm is the third and most expansive in a series of studies undertaken by the data company spanning back to 2018.
The study, published this week, was undertaken in a bid to determine where the British public stands on the broader transgender discussion, with YouGov noting that “the fight over transgender rights has become increasingly prominent in recent years”. The company said that “in some areas the shift is very pronounced”.
🧵/ Where does the British public stand on transgender rights in 2022?
The key finding from our third major study into trans attitudes is that support for trans access rights has eroded since 2018, a shift which has taken place across all social groupshttps://t.co/I001gML9Ga pic.twitter.com/agaX4wWnHq
— YouGov (@YouGov) July 20, 2022
The study, which was taken from a sample of 1751 British adults, began by exploring how much attention people are paying to the transgender rights debate to begin with, and their perceptions of the severity of the “problem of anti-transgender prejudice”.
Secondly, it examined attitudes on various aspects of the transgender rights debate, followed by the extent to which those attitudes have changed since 2018. Finally, it broke down attitudes – and the changing of attitudes – by social group, including age, gender and voting behaviour, as well as by whether or not people know someone who identifies as being transgender.
For the purposes of the survey, “transgender” was defined to respondents as “someone who identifies as a different gender to their sex at birth, including people who identify as being non-binary”. Findings included a decline in the amount of people supporting the assertion that “a trans man is a man” or “a trans woman is a woman”, and increased opposition to trans women participating in women’s sports.
‘MOST BRITONS HAVE PAID LITTLE OR NO ATTENTION TO THE TRANS RIGHTS DEBATE’
The study found that ‘most Britons have paid little or no attention to the trans rights debate’ despite it being “one of the foremost frontlines of the ‘culture wars’”.
“[…] Despite Westminster’s fixation with such issues – alongside sections of the media and twitter – the public themselves are far less invested. Two thirds of Britons say they pay little attention (42%) or no attention (24%) to the debate in the media and politics about trans rights,” YouGov, recording its findings, said.
‘A TRANS WOMAN IS A WOMAN’?
YouGov recorded a fall in the number of those in agreement with the statement that ‘a trans woman is a woman’ — since the assertion was first put to Britons surveyed in 2018. In fact, YouGov said the number of people agreeing with the statement had “diminished” in the space of four years.
Researchers stated:
“What the results consistently show is an erosion of permissiveness towards transgender rights over that time period. In some cases the difference is small, but in others there has been a substantial shift.
“On the key premise of whether Britons accept that a trans man is a man and a trans woman is a woman, there was net agreement that they are back in 2018 (+11, with 43% agreeing and 32% disagreeing in both cases).
YouGov, recording their findings, continued: “This agreement has diminished, with Britons now split, with 38% agreeing and 40% disagreeing that a trans woman is a woman, and a 39% / 39% split on whether or not a trans man is a man (net scores of -2 and ±0, respectively).”
BRITONS SPLIT ON WHETHER PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO CHANGE LEGAL GENDER
Further, the study found that most Britons are split on whether people should be able to change their legal gender.
“A majority of Britons believe that people should be able to change the gender they socially identify as, with 55% saying “people should be able to identify as being of a different gender to the one they had recorded at birth”. Fewer than half as many (25%) take the opposing view, with 20% unsure.
“However, when it comes to the matter of being allowed to legally change their gender status, the public is divided. Four in ten (40%) say the law should allow people to change their legal gender, while 37% say it should not. The remaining 23% are unsure,” YouGov said.
Overall, one in four Britons (23%) rejected any form of transgender status, saying they don’t think people should be change their gender either socially or legally.
BY 50% to 26%, BRITONS SAY IT SHOULD NOT BE MADE EASIER TO CHANGE LEGAL GENDER
Furthermore, the study found that Britons oppose making it easier to legally change gender. As it stands, someone who wants to legally change their gender must obtain a doctor’s approval in Britain so that they can legally transition – and must live as their ‘new gender’ for two years before they can gain legal recognition.
“In principle, Britons oppose making this process easier at a rate of almost two to one (50% vs 26%).
“Opposition is higher still when it comes to the specific aspects we highlighted. By 60% to 17%, Britons think the legal process should continue to require a doctor’s approval, and by a similar 59% to 15%, Britons say transgender people should continue to have to show they have lived in their new gender for two years before the change can be legally accepted,” researchers said.
BRITONS OPPOSE TRANS ATHLETES COMPETING IN SPORTING EVENTS FOR ‘NEW GENDER’
The study also revealed public opposition to transgender athletes being allowed to take part in sporting events for their ‘new’ gender.
“The public are strongly opposed to trans women athletes participating in women’s sporting events, by 61% versus just 16% who are supportive”, YouGov said.
In relation to access to facilities, Brits said they were more worried about granting trans women access to women’s spaces than trans men to men’s spaces.
“While Britons are split on whether trans women should be allowed to use women’s toilets (38% say they should, 41% say they should not), they tend to be opposed to allowing trans women to use women’s changing rooms, by 43% to 34%,” researchers said.
‘POTENTIAL RISK OF DANGER TO WOMEN’
“The main argument against allowing transgender people – generally transgender women – to use facilities of their preferred gender has been that it poses a potential risk of danger to women,” the study found.
“Four in ten Britons (39%) agree with this view, believing that allowing transgender women to use spaces like women’s toilets or changing rooms poses a “genuine risk of harm” to women. One in three (32%) say that this is not the case, while the remaining 29% are unsure”.
36% of those surveyed said they believed that trans rights ‘diminish’ and represent a ‘genuine risk’ to women’s rights – while 33% said such rights do not present a risk to women.
78% OPPOSE GENDER REASSIGNMENT SURGERY FOR UNDER-16s
Britons are also split on whether the NHS should provide hormone therapy for trans people, and ‘tend to oppose’ the health service providing gender reassignment surgery.
“Britons are split 38% in favour and 41% opposed to the NHS providing hormone treatments. When it comes to gender reassignment surgery, the level of opposition is slightly greater, with 44% opposed and 33% in favour,” the study concluded.
Further, the public view ‘clearly comes down against’ allowing transgender treatment to children wishing to transition. A staggering 78% of those surveyed oppose gender reassignment surgery for under-16s, and 68% say the same of giving these young people hormone treatment. Only 4% supported the former, and 10% the latter.
Puberty blockers for children, which delay physical changes, are also opoosed by the public – with 65% in opposition, and just 12% in support of puberty blockers.
Researchers said that the results from studies conducted in December 2018, June 2020 and in May 2022 evidenced an ‘erosion of permissiveness towards transgender rights’.
Key findings included the agreement that a ‘trans man is a man and a trans woman is a woman’ has “diminished” over time. Further, YouGov said that the biggest single shift which has occurred since 2018 is over trans women’s participation in female sports. Sentiment has grown “even more negative” in relation to this since four years ago, and a staggering 61% of Brits say trans women should not be allowed to take part in women’s sport, with just 16% believing they should.
“Age is a key factor in Britons’ views on transgender rights”, YouGov said, adding: “The younger Britons are, the more likely they are to be in favour of any measure we asked about”. Furthermore, Labour voters are more supportive than Conservative voters of trans rights across the board, according to researchers — with Conservative voters becoming “more skeptical” of trans rights over the last two years.