New Poll Reveals Bipartisan Rejection of “Gender Identity” Policies in West Virginia
Photo by Third Way Think Tank
A new poll conducted by Spry Strategies on behalf of Women’s Liberation Front (WoLF) found that an overwhelming majority of West Virginia voters across all parties do not support “gender identity” policies such as those included in the proposed “Equality Act”.
If passed, the bill would revoke the law’s ability to allow any accommodations for women on the basis of sex and codify the regulatory changes President Biden laid forth in his Executive Order on gender identity his first day in office. The results, based on a sample of 700 likely WV voters, are in line with national polling from October 2020 which found that U.S. voters do not want women’s single-sex spaces and accommodations to be outlawed.
Summary of Key Results
There is wide, cross-partisan, agreement that men should not be allowed in women’s intimate spaces such as changing rooms or homeless shelters, even if they identify as women.
86 percent of WV voters agree that male domestic abusers and sex offenders should not be allowed to serve their sentence in a women’s prison regardless of their claimed “gender identity,” including 78 percent of registered democrats.
84 percent of WV voters, including a majority of democrats, believe that women’s and girls’ athletics should be limited in participation to females.
80 percent of WV voters believe that employees should generally be allowed to express spiritual or personal convictions outside of the workplace without getting fired.
Voters 18-35 years old were the most likely demographic to express support for the controversial “gender identity” policies which eliminate single-sex spaces and services.
Analysis
Nearly all questions on “gender identity” policies revealed bipartisan support for preserving women’s single-sex spaces and accommodations such as homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, changing rooms, and sports. The poll also revealed widespread disapproval of employees being fired for expressing spiritual or personal convictions outside of the workplace, including among young and liberal voters.
Very few West Virginia voters actually support the policies that would be put into place by the Equality Act. Many voters said they would be more likely to vote for both Senator Capito and Senator Manchin if they expressed support for legislation that limits participation in women’s and girls’ sports to only female athletes.
Voters also widely disapprove (80 percent) of allowing children who say they identify as transgender to be given cross-sex hormones or cosmetic surgery to resemble the opposite sex or parents losing custody because they will not allow their child to medically transition (70 percent).
Across all parties, a majority of West Virginia voters also disapproved of Biden’s recent Executive Order permitting male soldiers to shower, change, and bunk with female soldiers in shared facilities based on their “gender identity.”
The results are consistent with national and statewide polling in California, Idaho, and South Dakota which show that while U.S. voters largely support anti-discrimination measures to protect minorities, mainstream voters also disapprove of “gender identity” policies that would impact women’s single-sex facilities and accommodations. While Democrats forge ahead with the Equality Act in the House and Senate, it is clear that they are working against the will of the people—even those who put them in office.