REPORT: Most Americans would not vote for a candidate who supports men in women’s sports

Women’s sports may be a determining factor for the 2022 midterm elections, a September CRC Research poll indicates.

The poll, obtained by Daily Caller, found that more than 60% of voters are less likely to support a candidate who supports allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports as a campaign platform.

About 49% of respondents were “much less likely” to support a candidate that backs transgender athletes competing as their gender identity, while 13% reported being “somewhat less likely” to vote for that candidate.

Responses were geared down party lines as 86% of Republicans and 65% of Independents admitted they would not support such a candidate, compared to 37% of Democrats who issued the same response.  

[RELATED: POLL: Majority of Americans oppose men competing in women’s sports]

The permittance of transgender athletes to compete as their gender identity made waves in national headlines after former University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, a biological male, competed in the women’s division during the 2021-2022 swim season.

Thomas won a national title during the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Swimming Championship. 

Critics argue that allowing biological men to compete in women’s sports creates an unfair advantage, and female athletes have denounced the policies. The controversy propelled a handful of states to adopt laws restricting athlete eligibility to biological sex in a move to ‘save’ women’s sports.

69% of Republican voters believe that the transgender agenda doubles back on “significant opportunities and essential protections for women,” compared to nearly 45% of Democrat voters, the poll found. Overall, 57% of voters support the statement.

The midterms also come on the heels of President Biden’s push to adopt transgender protection into federal law. The administration’s new Title IX proposal, which would include gender identity as a protected class against discrimination, concluded its public comment phase on Sept. 12.

The proposal received more than 210,500 comments from the general public, voicing either concern or support for the changes. 

[RELATED: Female athletes defend Title IX outside White House]

The poll reported that nearly 63% of voters oppose and 49% strongly oppose revising Title IX to adopt transgender protection. Opposition to changes to the legislation, again, fell along party lines as 67% of Independents and 41% of Democrats reportedly voiced disapproval.

Campus Reform spoke with a number of legal experts and advocates about the potential consequences of revising Title IX. 

Cherise Trump, Executive Director at Speech First, warned that expanding Title IX to protect gender identity alongside biological sex could limit opportunities for female students.

“What are young females going to do in high school when they are supposed to be looking for sports scholarship opportunities?" she asked. "Are they going to be competing against men for these scholarship opportunities?"

Braden Boucek, Southeastern Legal Foundation Litigation Director, told Campus Reform that the plan could “[roll] back 50 years of advancement for women’s sports.”

Last month, National Association of Scholars’ Policy Director Teresa Manning told Campus Reform that the proposal goes beyond opportunities and sports. Instead, she sounded the alarm that the plan could be a direct threat to due process.

The CRC poll surveyed 1,600 voters nationwide between Sept. 14-18. The poll reports a 2.45% margin of error.

Campus Reform contacted CRC for comment and will update accordingly.

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