Overwhelming 'no' to biological men in women's sports: Three out of four Americans reject the idea

Pew Research has weighed in on the controversy sparked by the possibility that male-born players could compete in the WNBA by revisiting a study on what Americans think about the potential competition of trans athletes in women's sports. The results are also overwhelming: nearly three out of four voters reject the idea. This opposition transcends party lines, gender, ethnicity (67% of Hispanics oppose it), and age.

According to the survey conducted by Pew, 73% of respondents said they "did not feel somewhat or very comfortable" with the possibility of "transgender athletes competing on sports teams that do not match their birth sex."

Only 14% indicated that they might "somewhat" feel comfortable with the idea, while 13% found it perfectly acceptable.

Overwhelming Republican opposition: more than 90% disagree

Furthermore, opposition is widespread regardless of which party one votes for. It is true that Republican voters reject it more overwhelmingly, but it is also the majority position among Democratic voters, even among those on the most radical wing.

Thus, among Republican voters, 91% are uncomfortable with the participation of biological men in women's sports, while 6% would accept it and a mere 3% would see no problem with it. The most conservative wing rejects the idea by 95%, compared to 3% who might accept it and 2% who are fine with it.

Among Republicans whom Pew classifies as "moderate" or "liberal," 84% reject it, while 11% find it acceptable and 5% would be "extremely comfortable" with that possibility becoming a reality.

Democratic voters are not comfortable with the idea

Democratic voters are also not comfortable with biological men competing against women. 55% do not support it, while 21% would accept it and 23% view it favorably. Among more moderate voters, opposition stands at 68%, compared to 18% who would support it and 13% who think it's perfect.

Although by a narrow margin, opposition is the majority view even among the most left-wing faction of the Blue Party. In this case, 38% are uncomfortable with that possibility, compared to 37% who see no problem with it and 24% who are somewhat uncomfortable.