Research

2025 Gender Equity Survey

April 26, 2025

In March 2025, Galvanize Action surveyed an audience of 556 moderate white women across the United States to learn about their attitudes toward transgender people.

QUESTIONS #1-7 | ATTITUDES ABOUT GENDER EQUITY
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Statement	Strongly agree	Somewhat agree	Neither	Somewhat disagree	Strongly disagree
I don’t believe that transgender people share my beliefs and values	14%	15%	28%	21%	22%
I’m confident that I can learn to navigate the changing rules of gender in our society	23%	32%	27%	11%	6%
When I hear about efforts to create “equity” I worry about the impact on people like me	9%	20%	38%	14%	19%
People advocating for the rights of transgender people have gone too far in recent years	21%	21%	20%	18%	20%
Discussion of sexual orientation and/or gender identity in public schools should be banned	24%	19%	22%	16%	18%
I believe that there are only two sexes: male and female	43%	18%	18%	8%	13%
For America to be on the right side of history, it’s essential that we warmly welcome and accept individuals who identify as a different gender from their sex at birth	29%	23%	23%	16%	9%

A majority (55%) agree that they are confident in their ability to navigate the changing rules of gender, and a majority (52%) agree that for America to be on the right side of history we must warmly welcome transgender people.

QUESTION #8
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Even if I don’t know the right words to say, I still want to be supportive and respect people that are transgender.

Strongly disagree	4%
Somewhat disagree	12%
Somewhat agree	36%
Strongly agree	47%

QUESTION #9
How confident do you feel in your ability to understand and use gender-neutral pronouns (for example, “they/them”) correctly?

Not at all confident	31%
Slightly confident	37%
Mostly confident	22%
Extremely confident	10%

QUESTION #10
Do you personally know someone who identifies as transgender?

No	62%
Yes	38%

QUESTIONS #11-13 | ACCEPTANCE
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Statement	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree	Somewhat agree	Strongly agree
Transgender people should be treated with the same respect and dignity as anyone else	2%	8%	29%	62%
Transgender people deserve the same legal protections as other marginalized groups	5%	12%	29%	54%
Transgender people should be allowed to openly express their gender identity without fear of discrimination	5%	14%	31%	51%

A majority of women strongly agree with each of these acceptance statements, and 91% agree that transgender people should be treated with the same respect and dignity as anyone else.
When these responses are compared to results below, it becomes clear that moderate white women in this sample are broadly accepting of transgender people in the hypothetical, but are less supportive of specific policies regarding transgender rights and even less supportive of policies that involve children.

QUESTIONS #14-19 | SCHOOLS
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Statement	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree	Somewhat agree	Strongly agree
Schools should not discuss gender identity with students at all, regardless of grade	20%	26%	22%	32%
Schools should only discuss gender identity if a student brings it up first	13%	28%	43%	16%
Schools should teach students about gender identity as part of a broader curriculum on health and wellness for older students (such as high school)	26%	23%	32%	20%
Schools should teach students about gender identity as part of a broader curriculum on health and wellness for all grades	33%	30%	25%	13%
Schools should actively affirm a student’s gender identity, including using their preferred name and pronouns, without requiring parental consent	29%	27%	25%	19%
Schools should provide resources and support that honor students’ gender identities	19%	26%	32%	22%

A majority (54%) thinks schools should not discuss gender identity at all. An even larger majority (59%) thinks such discussion is acceptable only when a student initiates the conversation.
There is more support for teaching about gender in older grades such as high school (52%) than there is in all grades (38%).
A majority (56%) disagrees that schools should use a student’s preferred name and pronouns without requiring parental consent, highlighting the role “parents’ rights” play in this national debate.

QUESTIONS #20-23 | HEALTHCARE
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Statement	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree	Somewhat agree	Strongly agree
Adults who identify as transgender should have the right to access gender-affirming medical care, such as hormone therapy or surgery	12%	15%	32%	41%
Teenagers who identify as transgender should be allowed to access gender-affirming medical care with parental consent	28%	21%	26%	25%
Teenagers who identify as transgender should be allowed to access gender-affirming medical care without parental consent if they are deemed mature enough by medical professionals	42%	29%	17%	12%
Children who identify as transgender should be allowed to socially transition (for example, change their name, pronouns, or clothing) with the support of their parents and schools	27%	20%	30%	23%

When it comes to accessing gender-affirming medical care, respondents were most likely to strongly or somewhat agree with adults accessing care (73%). A narrow majority agrees with teens receiving care with parental consent (51%), and unsupportive of teenagers accessing care without parental consent (29%).
A narrow majority (53%) somewhat or strongly agrees that children should be able to socially transition with support from both parents and schools.

QUESTIONS #24-26 | PRONOUNS
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Statement	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree	Somewhat agree	Strongly agree
People should only be expected to use someone’s preferred pronouns (for example, they/them) if they feel comfortable doing so	13%	19%	43%	25%
People should make an effort to use someone’s preferred pronouns, even if it feels unfamiliar at first	16%	19%	36%	30%
Using someone’s preferred pronouns should be legally required in workplaces and schools	34%	32%	21%	13%

While a majority of respondents (66%) agree that people should make an effort to use the correct pronouns, an even larger majority (68%) believes people should only be expected to use the correct pronouns when they are comfortable doing so. Only 33% agree that using the correct pronouns should be legally required in workplaces or schools.

QUESTION #27 | FEELINGS ABOUT CHILDREN
Which of the following words describe how you feel about the following statement? Please select all that apply.

“Children who identify as transgender should be allowed to socially transition (for example, change their name, pronouns, or clothing) with the support of their parents and schools.”

Feeling	Percentage
concerned	41%
supportive	39%
worried	34%
compassionate	32%
uncomfortable	25%
conflicted	19%
skeptical	17%
frustrated	15%
hopeful	13%
optimistic	12%
angry	12%
indifferent	8%
confused	8%
overwhelmed	7%
proud	5%

QUESTION #28 | FEELINGS ABOUT DOCUMENTS
Which of the following words describe how you feel about the following statement? Please select all that apply.

“Government documents, such as passports and driver’s license,) should include a nonbinary gender option for people who identify as neither male nor female (such as X instead of M or F).”

Feeling	Percentage
supportive	32%
concerned	25%
uncomfortable	21%
worried	18%
frustrated	16%
angry	15%
skeptical	15%
indifferent	15%
conflicted	15%
compassionate	14%
optimistic	12%
confused	11%
hopeful	7%
overwhelmed	4%
proud	3%

QUESTION #29 | FEELINGS ABOUT “PARENTAL RIGHTS”
Which of the following words describe how you feel about the following statement? Please select all that apply.
“Parents should have the final say in whether their child receives gender-affirming medical care.”

Feeling	Percentage
supportive	38%
concerned	27%
conflicted	21%
worried	19%
compassionate	16%
uncomfortable	14%
skeptical	10%
hopeful	9%
optimistic	9%
frustrated	8%
indifferent	8%
confused	7%
angry	6%
overwhelmed	6%
proud	3%

QUESTION #30 | FEELINGS ABOUT PRONOUNS
Which of the following words describe how you feel about the following statement? Please select all that apply.
“People should make an effort to use someone’s preferred pronouns, even if it feels unfamiliar at first.”

Feeling	Percentage
supportive	43%
compassionate	27%
uncomfortable	18%
hopeful	16%
optimistic	14%
frustrated	13%
conflicted	12%
indifferent	11%
concerned	10%
angry	9%
overwhelmed	9%
worried	8%
skeptical	6%
confused	6%
proud	5%

QUESTION #31 | FEELINGS ABOUT ATHLETICS
Which of the following words describe how you feel about the following statement? Please select all that apply.

“Transgender student athletes should be allowed to play and compete with the team that matches their gender identity in schools.”

Feeling	Percentage
concerned	31%
angry	29%
frustrated	28%
worried	26%
uncomfortable	24%
conflicted	23%
supportive	18%
skeptical	13%
confused	8%
compassionate	7%
optimistic	7%
overwhelmed	7%
indifferent	6%
hopeful	5%
proud	3%

Among all feelings questions, the question about sports received the lowest levels of positive emotions such as “supportive.” Just 18% feel supportive of trans athletes while 43% support making an effort to use preferred pronouns, 39% support minors socially transitioning with support from their parents, 38% are supportive of parents having final say in gender-affirming medical care, and 32% are supportive of nonbinary identity options on government documents.
Similarly, the question about transgender athletes produced the highest levels of “angry” as a reaction (29%).

QUESTION #32 | CONCERNS
Which of the following, if any, are you most concerned about when it comes to increased acceptance of transgender people?

Concern	Percentage
I am not concerned about increased acceptance of transgender people	23%
Impact on children and what is taught in schools	18%
Safety in single-sex spaces, such as bathrooms and locker rooms	17%
Fairness in sports	15%
Concerns over legal and medical implication	6%
Traditional views on gender	6%
Furthering political polarization	5%
Government-funded healthcare	5%
Religious beliefs	4%
Prison inmate care	2%

QUESTIONS #33-43 | EXECUTIVE ORDER SUPPORT
To what extent do you support or oppose the following Executive Orders issued by President Trump since taking office in January?

Executive Order	Strongly support	Somewhat support	Somewhat oppose	Strongly oppose
Mandates ‘privacy in intimate spaces’ to ensure that single-sex spaces are designated by sex and not gender identity	32%	34%	20%	14%
Ends diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in federal agencies	21%	25%	21%	34%
Repeals the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, which prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), or national origin	13%	20%	18%	48%
Requires the military to discharge transgender service members and turn away potential transgender recruits	16%	18%	28%	38%
Prohibits people from changing gender markers on government-issued documents, such as passports and drivers licenses	29%	26%	24%	22%
Prohibits federal funds from being used for gender transition health care in prisons	47%	20%	18%	15%
Rescinds federal funding from schools with services or classes that address gender identity	22%	25%	22%	31%
Rescinds federal funding from schools that support transgender students, such as by using preferred pronouns or a name not corresponding to a student’s birth sex	24%	21%	24%	31%
Bars federal funds from educational programs that allow transgender women and girls to participate in female sports	40%	23%	18%	19%
Declares that U.S. policy recognizes only two sexes (male and female)	36%	22%	19%	22%
Pulls the U.S. out of international sports programs that allow transgender women’s participation, including the Olympics	34%	25%	20%	21%

Executive orders with higher levels of support include mandating “privacy in intimate spaces” (66% support this), prohibiting people from changing gender markers on government documents (55% support), prohibiting federal funds from being used for gender transition health care in prisons (67%), barring federal funds from educational programs that allow transgender women and girls to participate in sports (63%), declaring that US policy recognizes two sexes (58%), and pulling the US out of inclusive international sports such as the Olympics (59%).
Executive orders with lower levels of support include repeal of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 (66% oppose this), ending DEI policies in federal agencies (55% oppose), excluding transgender people from the military (66%), rescinding funding from schools with services or classes addressing gender (53%), and rescinding funding from schools that support trans students (55%).

QUESTION #44 | EXECUTIVE ORDER SUPPORT
Some people keep up with news and current events on a regular basis, while others do not. Prior to taking this survey, how familiar were you with the previously mentioned Executive Orders enacted recently by President Trump?

Not at all familiar	10%
Slightly familiar	32%
Mostly familiar	42%
Extremely familiar	15%

Below is the same question as above, this time segmented by 2024 vote choice.

Vote choice	Not at all familiar	Slightly familiar	Mostly familiar	Extremely familiar
Harris	7%	30%	48%	15%
Trump	8%	33%	41%	18%
Another candidate	17%	30%	22%	32%
Did not vote	25%	36%	34%	5%

Those who did not vote were least likely to be mostly or extremely familiar with the executive orders outlined above (39% compared to 63% of Harris voters, 59% of Trump voters, and 54% of third-party voters).

QUESTION #45 | ISSUE RANKINGS
In your opinion, which of the following issues is most important for our federal government to focus on right now? Please rank the following issues with 1 being the most important and 10 being the least important.

Issue	Ranking by mode
economy	1
immigration	2
crime	3
healthcare	4
education	5
foreign	6
climate	8
abortion	9
DEI	9
transgender	10

Issues related to transgender people and policies were the least important to respondents while the economy remains the most important.

QUESTIONS #46-48 | SOCIAL PRESSURES
To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

Statement	Strongly disagree	Somewhat disagree	Somewhat agree	Strongly agree
I often feel conflicted between wanting to be accepting of transgender people and hearing negative things about them	28%	34%	33%	5%
I often feel like society pressures me to be more accepting of transgender people than I am comfortable with	23%	26%	28%	24%
It is very important to me to be seen as a good person when it comes to my views on transgender issues and acceptance	12%	22%	47%	19%

Sixty six percent of respondents somewhat or strongly agree that it is important to them to be seen as a good person when it comes to their views on transgender issues and acceptance.