Poll: Most US People Think Trans People Have Unfair Advantage If Allowed Into Female Sports

The majority of US people oppose allowing trans women to compete alongside biological females, a recent poll has shown.

Most of those asked believed that the former would have an unfair advantage, despite largely sympathising with potential mental issues that transgender people might experience if banned.

The survey, which was conducted jointly by the Washington Post and the University of Maryland, showed that some 58% of US citizens think that "transgender women should not be allowed to compete with other women and girls" either in college or professional sports. Only 28% supported the idea of allowing transgender women into these sports.

At the same time, 52% of respondents admitted that they were either "very" or "somewhat" concerned about trans girls' mental health being potentially impacted by an inability to do sports with other girls, the poll shows.

Overwhelmingly, 68% of those interviewed believed that trans athletes "would have a competitive advantage over other girls" in youth sports, while 30% thought that the field would be fair for both groups.

In conclusion, the survey found that 40% of people believed that greater social acceptance of transgender people was "good" for society, while 25% held the opposite views. The remaining 35% believed it did not make any difference.

The debate over allowing trans women into female sports heated up in the US after transgender swimmer Lia Thomas triumphed in the Ivy League Championships in February this year, while also setting several records and outpacing the closest contender by seven seconds.