Transgender and nonbinary rights are a major flashpoint in U.S. culture wars.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives
passed a bill to essentially ban transgender girls and women from competing in school sports by withholding federal funds from schools that do not comply.
“Republicans have promised to protect women’s sports, and under President Trump’s leadership, we will fulfill this promise,” the bill’s author, Representative Greg Steube, has said.
Major pediatric, endocrinology and mental health associations endorse gender-affirming care such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy when appropriate, some calling it life-saving for many transgender youths.
However, some conservatives characterize the treatments as dangerous and experimental, calling certain measures chemical castration or child abuse.
Trump spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that Trump campaigned on promises to end discussions about gender and sex in classrooms and stop taxpayer-funded transgender surgeries for inmates in federal prisons.
“Clearly, the American people agree with President Trump and that’s why they voted for him,” she said.
In 2024, YouGov survey data showed 36% of Americans believed societal acceptance of transgender people had gone too far while 34% said it had not gone far enough.
One in three said it was morally wrong to identify with a gender different from one’s sex assigned at birth, 13% believe it is morally acceptable, and 41% say it is not a moral issue.
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