by Jennifer S. Bryson
Terry Schilling has a hot tip for politicians: “Voters hate the idea of biological males competing against female athletes in women’s sports.” Schilling is the executive director at the American Principles Project.
American Principles Project and SPRY Strategies released polling results this week from 10 presidential election battleground states. In the July 2020 survey, on average 74.8 percent of voters said, “No” and only 25.2 percent said, “Yes” when asked: “Should boys and men who say they identify as transgender be allowed to compete in girls’ and women’s athletics?”
The state-by-state responses to this question: Arizona 69.2 percent “no,” 30.8 percent “yes”; Georgia 76.86 percent “no,” 23.14 percent “yes”; Iowa 74.37 percent “no,” 25.63 percent “yes”; Kentucky 80.57 percent “no,” 19.43 percent “yes”; Michigan 77.88 percent “no,” 22.12 percent “yes”; Montana 73.46 percent “no,” 26.54 percent “yes”; North Carolina 75.46 percent “no,” 24.54 percent “yes”; Pennsylvania 74.56 percent “no,” 25.44 percent “yes”; Texas 75.49 percent “no,” 24.51 percent “yes”; Wisconsin 70.95 percent “no,” 29.50 percent “yes.”
Powerlifter Beth Stelzer, founder of Save Women’s Sports, commented by email, “This should not be a political issue, but it has become one. It is clear that the American public does not want males in female sports. The question now is, will the politicians support girls and women or the males who claim to be us?“
As the November election approaches, many are waiting to see whether President Trump will come out in support of protecting sports for girls and women, in opposition to the Democrats’ “gender jackpot” agenda.
In a 2019 tweet, his son Donald Jr. wrote that allowing males in female sports “will destroy women’s sports and everything so many amazing female athletes have worked their entire lives to achieve. I couldn’t care less how you identify, but this isn’t right.”
This new polling data provides a strong indication that American voters agree, not least of all in the swing states Trump will need in order to beat Biden.
In addition to the sports question, the survey also asked likely voters about their views on issues including Black Lives Matter, removal of statues, and local state races. Respondents gave a resounding “No” to the question: “Should children who say they identify as transgender be allowed to undergo physical sex change surgeries or chemical treatments while they are under the age of 18?”
State by state details from the American Principles Project and SPRY Strategies polling are available here: Arizona, Georgia, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wisconsin. The methodology for the survey can be viewed here.
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Jennifer S. Bryson, Ph.D. is a Policy and Communication Fellow at the Claremont Institute. She lives in Washington, D.C. Visit her website: www.jenniferbryson.net.
