Most US parents support kids joining sports teams based on biological sex, poll shows

WASHINGTON (CITC) — More than three-fourths of U.S. parents believe children should participate in sports based on biological sex, polling data released Monday by a parents’ rights group shows.

Parents Defending Education (PDE) and research firm CRC Research last month polled 1,000 parents of children aged 18 and younger. The parents were surveyed on a range of education-related topics, including school choice, curriculum, and school policies pertaining to students’ gender identities.

Surveyors asked the parents whether they supported or opposed biologically male students “who identify as females” being “allowed to participate on girls’ sports teams.” The surveyors found 78% of participants opposed the topic, with 62% answering they “strongly oppose” and 16% saying they “somewhat oppose.”

Only 22% of parents told PDE and CRC they supported the subject, according to the polling data.

When broken down by political party affiliations, the polling data revealed Republicans, Democrats and independents all voiced the same sentiments. The results show 86% of Republican parents, 80% of independent parents and 60% of Democratic parents told surveyors they opposed allowing biologically male students to compete on girls’ sports teams.

Michele Exner, a senior advisor at PDE, told Crisis in the Classroom (CITC) Monday the group has “long suspected” the issue wasn’t a partisan one.

“This should be a wakeup call to every school district and university in the country that it’s time to stop the insanity and finally abide by Title IX the way it was intended,” Exner said.

READ MORE | Calif. high school runners file Title IX complaint over alleged transgender teammate

The polling data follows the Biden administration in December withdrawing a proposal to prohibit public school districts from implementing blanket bans on transgender athletes competing based on gender identity. Multiple courts last year temporarily blocked the administration’s Title IX rewrite from going into effect in dozens of states, claiming it was unconstitutional.

The U.S. Department of Education said upon introducing the proposed rewrite in April the adjusted regulations would clarify “that all our nation’s students can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and respect their rights.”

Washington state’s governing body for high school athletics announced last month it was considering forming a separate division for transgender athletes to compete in. The state currently allows high school athletes to compete based on gender identity, but the new proposal would require a boys’ division, girls’ division and “open” division be offered for athletic programs.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Representative Assembly will begin voting on its new proposals in April.

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