Most Americans Side With J.K. Rowling: Only Two Genders

(Please see the clarification below.)

Transgender activists have accused J.K. Rowling of “hate speech” for saying it, but most Americans agree with the Harry Potter author that there are only two genders.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 75% of American Adults agree that there are only two genders, male and female. That total includes 63% who Strongly Agree. Eighteen percent (18%) disagree. (To see survey question wording, click here.)

Critics have labeled Rowling a “purveyor of hate speech” for saying that there are two biologically distinct genders.  However, only 17% of Americans believe this is “hate speech,” while 58% support Rowling and 25% are not sure.

By more than a 3-to-1 margin, Americans oppose a key educational policy of the transgender movement. Sixty-eight percent (68%) believe schools and teachers should not be allowed to counsel students on their sexual and gender identities without parental knowledge or consent. Only 19% believe schools should be allowed to engage in such counseling without parental consent.

(Want a free daily e-mail update? If it’s in the news, it’s in our polls). Rasmussen Reports updates are also available on Twitter or Facebook.

The survey of 1,000 U.S. American Adults was conducted on December 21-22, 2021 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence. Field work for all Rasmussen Reports surveys is conducted by Pulse Opinion Research, LLC. See methodology.

Majorities of all political categories – 80% of Republicans, 54% of Democrats and 72% of those unaffiliated with either major party – are opposed to schools counseling children on gender identity without informing parents.

While majorities in every political category agree that there are only two genders, Democrats (47%) are less likely than Republicans (82%) or the unaffiliated (60%) to say they Strongly Agree.

Seventy-eight percent (78%) of Republicans, 41% of Democrats and 60% of unaffiliateds say they agree with J.K. Rowling that there are two biologically distinct genders. Significantly more Democrats (29%) than Republicans (8%) or unaffiliateds (12%) believe Rowling is engaged in “hate speech.”

More men (68%) than women (56%) say they Strongly Agree that there are only two genders.

More Black Americans (68%) than whites (63%) or other minorities (55%) Strongly Agree that there are only two genders. Majorities of all races – 68% of whites, 70% of Black adults and 65% of other minorities – are against schools counseling children on gender identity without parental consent. However, Blacks are less supportive of Rowling.

Americans under 40 are more likely than their elders to believe schools and teachers should be allowed to counsel students on their sexual and gender identities without parental knowledge or consent. 

Married Americans and those with children at home are more supportive of Rowling than the unmarried and childless.

Americans with incomes of $200,000 a year or more are most likely to disagree with the statement that there are only two genders, male and female.

Among those who agree with Rowling that there are two distinct biological genders, 79% are against schools counseling students on their sexual and gender identities without parental knowledge or consent. But among those who think Rowling is guilty of “hate speech,” only 41% are against such counseling in schools.

Most Americans don’t approve of a new State Department policy allowing people to change the gender identity on their passport without documentation.

President Joe Biden sparked controversy by signing an executive order mandating that transgender athletes be allowed to compete in girl’s and women’s sports, a move that most Americans oppose.

CLARIFICATION (December 30, 2021)

In reaction to a news article about this poll, J.K. Rowling responded on Twitter to make clear her views on gender:

• “Small but important point: I’ve never said there are only two genders. There are innumerable gender identities. … The question at the heart of this debate is whether sex or gender identity should form the basis of decisions on safeguarding, provision of services, sporting categories and other areas where women and girls currently have legal rights and protections.  ... Using the words ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ interchangeably obscures the central issue of this debate.”

Ms. Rowling suggested that those who are “interested in what I actually said” should read her June 2020 essay on the subject adding that, in the essay, “I literally say ‘trans lives matter’ and ‘trans rights are human rights.’”

Rasmussen Reports regrets any misunderstanding that may have been caused by the wording of this survey and article, and extends a sincere apology to Ms. Rowling for misstating her opinion.

Additional information from this survey and a full demographic breakdown are available to Platinum Members only.

Please sign up for the Rasmussen Reports daily e-mail update (it’s free) or follow us on Facebook.  Let us keep you up to date with the latest public opinion news.