As more and more biological males enter and win women’s sports events at all levels of competition, Americans are increasingly recognizing that it’s both unfair and absurd.
A growing majority of Americans oppose allowing biological male athletes to compete on female-only sports teams, according to a new Gallup survey released June 10.
The national poll, conducted between May 1 and May 18, shows that 69 percent of U.S. adults believe transgender athletes should only be allowed to play on teams that match their biological sex. That number has remained steady since 2023 but marks a significant increase from 62 percent in 2021. Meanwhile, support for trans athletes competing based on gender identity has declined over the same period, from 34 percent in 2021 to just 24 percent this year.
Gallup’s findings are based on responses from 1,003 American adults and carry a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.
The results showed sharp partisan divides. Among Republicans, 90 percent said athletes should compete based on biological sex — a view shared by 72 percent of Independents and 41 percent of Democrats.
Since 2021, support for gender identity-based participation in sports has dropped 10 percentage points among Democrats and Independents and now stands at 45 percent and 23 percent, respectively. Republican attitudes have remained essentially unchanged.
The poll comes amid a national debate over transgender participation in female sports and the rights of women and girls in athletic competition. Nearly 30 states have passed legislation requiring athletes to compete on teams matching their biological sex, citing fairness, safety, and competitive equity.
Advocates for single-sex sports have pointed to recent examples of male trans-identifying athletes winning championships in women’s divisions, raising concerns about Title IX protections and the erasure of female-only competitions. Supporters of these laws argue that even after hormone therapy, biological males retain significant physical advantages in strength and endurance.
Earlier this year, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the federal government to withhold education funding from schools that allow male trans-identifying athletes to compete in women’s divisions. It stated:
“It is the policy of the United States to rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities, which results in the endangerment, humiliation, and silencing of women and girls and deprives them of privacy.”
The order requires the Secretary of Education to take action to protect “all-female athletic opportunities and all-female locker rooms.” This includes prioritizing the enforcement of Title IX against schools and athletic associations that require female athletes to compete against or share locker rooms with male athletes.
In response, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced in February it would prohibit male trans-identifying athletes from participating in women’s sports, citing the clarity of Trump’s directive.
“The NCAA is an organization made up of 1,100 colleges and universities in all 50 states that collectively enroll more than 530,000 student-athletes. We strongly believe that clear, consistent, and uniform eligibility standards would best serve today’s student-athletes instead of a patchwork of conflicting state laws and court decisions. To that end, President Trump’s order provides a clear, national standard,” said NCAA President Charlie Baker.
The Gallup survey also explored general attitudes toward gender ideology and ethics. Only 40 percent of Americans said they believe it is morally acceptable for a person to “change their gender” — a 4-point drop from last year and a 6-point decline from 2021.
Among Republicans, support for gender changes as morally acceptable has steadily decreased over the past four years — from 22 percent in 2021 to just 9 percent in 2025. Among Democrats, support peaked at 72 percent in 2024 but dipped slightly to 71 percent this year. Independent support has declined from 48 percent in 2021 to 45 percent in 2025.
At the federal level, an effort to pass the “Protection of Women’s Sports Act of 2025” was defeated in the Senate in a 51-45 vote, failing to reach the 60 votes needed to advance it to a final floor vote. Democrats unanimously voted against the bill.
Republican Sens. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Cynthia Lummis of Wyoming and Democratic Sens. Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Peter Welch of Vermont did not vote.
The bill was an attempt to codify President Trump’s recent executive order to keep males from competing in girls’ and women’s sports.
“Around the country we have seen men — biological men who identify as women — take up spaces and medals in athletics meant for actual women,” Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said ahead of the vote. “This is a matter of fairness and equality.”
As public support declines for allowing male transgender-identifying athletes to compete in female sports, Christians have a clear opportunity to affirm biblical truth and compassion amid cultural confusion. According to Genesis 1:27, “God created mankind in his own image… male and female he created them.” This foundational truth reflects God’s intentional design, not only for identity but also for human flourishing.
The growing national consensus reflected in the Gallup data and policy shifts like President Trump’s executive order shows that more Americans recognize the injustice of forcing women and girls to compete against biological male athletes. Christians should be encouraged by this shift, as it aligns with biblical convictions about fairness and the dignity of every human being created male or female by God.
Protecting female-only sports is not a matter of hatred or exclusion. The perspective is about truth, love, and honoring God’s order. Ephesians 4:15 calls us to “speak the truth in love,” and this moment demands both clarity and compassion. A biblical worldview affirms the inherent worth of every person, including those struggling with gender identity. However, Scripture also calls for protecting the rights of girls and women, which means ensuring their safety and privacy.
As Christians, we must stand firm in our convictions and actions. We can support laws and leaders who defend biblical values and encourage those impacted by gender ideology without compromising the truth of Scripture.
In a world that often rejects God’s design, this is our chance to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13–16). The decline in public support for gender-based sports policies ultimately presents a spiritual opportunity to redirect hearts back to the Creator.
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