New Polls Show That Even Democrats Are Split on Gender Identity Policies in Schools
A new series of polls by Pew Research Center has found that many Americans, including Democrats, teachers, teenagers, and parents of school-age children, disagree with teaching the concept of “gender identity” in school.
The results are similar to those by a 2023 WoLF Poll of California voters which found that over half of Democrats disagree with teaching gender identity to young students.
“Many groups, including Democrats, teachers and teenagers, are split on whether schools should teach about gender identity — a person’s internal sense of their own gender and whether it aligns with their sex assigned at birth, according to a survey by researchers at the University of Southern California and a separate survey by Pew Research Center.”
These results are just the latest that demonstrate what those of us on the ground in this fight already know: gender identity is not a popular or widely believed ideology, even among the groups who appear to be pushing it the hardest. Rather, gender identity policies in school or law are often the result of a very loud minority that has successfully bullied those who object into silence by instilling a culture of fear.
Teaching Gender Identity in Schools is Unpopular - Even Among Teachers
Although teachers are a Democratic-leaning group (58% vs. 38% Republican, according to Pew), the majority of teachers (62%) said that gender identity should not be taught in elementary school. This aligns with WoLF’s 2023 survey of California, which showed that 69% of voters disagree that children “should be encouraged to explore their gender, decide their gender for themselves and identify their pronouns as early as kindergarten.”
“Fewer than half of the Democrats polled supported teaching about gender identity in elementary school, or using a transgender student’s pronouns at that age without asking the parents.”
Half of teachers surveyed across all grades, including high school, believe that students should not be taught about gender identity in school, and 48% believe parents should have the right to opt their children out of such lessons if it is taught.
Despite holding popular opinions shared by the majority of their colleagues, some teachers across the country have been punished for speaking against school policies that would force teachers to go along with gender identity in the classroom. Last year, WoLF filed an Amicus brief in support of two such teachers in Oregon, 7th grade science teacher Katie Medart and Assistant Principal Rachel Damiano. Their case remains pending in the Ninth Circuit.
Gender Identity vs. Race and LGB Rights
Despite the overworked talking point that opponents of gender identity ideology are racist and homophobic, the same poll found large support across the board for gay rights and education about racism, such as teaching on the American history of slavery in schools.
“The results are the latest to suggest that the American public may hold more complex views on the issues, with opinion varying depending on the scenario and the age of the students involved.”
These findings align with polling WoLF has done as far back as 2020. Black and Hispanic voters are less likely than white voters to support gender identity policies, and more likely to protect single-sex spaces that impact marginalized populations — such as prisons, homeless shelters, and domestic violence centers. Meanwhile, it is the wealthiest of Americans (those with household incomes over $150,000) who are most likely to support gender identity policies.
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