American voters support tolerance and freedom to live by your beliefs

Report on American reactions to Biden Administration policy changes on new Title IX requirements and forcing doctors, nurses, and hospitals to perform transgender procedures and abortions.

Print version.

American voters overwhelmingly support policies that allow everyone to live according to their beliefs and values, even if you disagree with them.  This simple principle underlies America’s strong opposition to a range of proposed new policy changes that force individuals and organizations to violate their own rights, beliefs, and judgment to serve transgender, abortion, and new Title IX initiatives.

This summary of American attitudes is based on a nationally representative on-line survey with 1,002 registered voters from 6-16 May 2022 conducted by Heart+Mind Strategies on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.  Hypothetically, a purely random sample of this size would have a margin of error of +/-3%.

The results of the survey show large majorities of registered voters oppose changes the Biden Administration has proposed as it relates to requiring or penalizing health care workers, religious hospitals, and religious organizations to carry out procedures that go against their conscience, specifically, in the areas of gender transition and abortion.

Significant majorities also oppose Title IX changes that would allow gender identity to be used instead of biological sex to give open access to locker rooms, restrooms, and engage in sports.

These factors and others have created an environment where the majority of American voters (58%) are now feeling the transgender movement has gone too far.

Detailed survey findings are:

  • American voters strongly believe that tolerance of other’s beliefs (90%) and the freedom for Americans to live according to their values and priorities are core to being American (87% agree).

  • Moreover, First Amendment Rights of free speech and religion are critical to the nation (82% agree).

  • Six-in-ten (58%) of registered voters feel the transgender movement has gone too far. [Chart 3]

  • The large majority of registered voters oppose changes to Title IX that allow student gender identity rather than biological sex to determine use of locker rooms (56%), restrooms (54%), or participation in sports (52%).

  • Majorities believe that health care workers and organizations objecting to performing transgender procedures because of their beliefs is NOT discrimination—particularly when treating children under 12 years.

  • Large majorities of registered voters (60%) believe doctors should not be forced to or penalized by the government to perform transgender procedures or abortions that go against a doctor’s conscience.

Learn more at www.usccb.org/do-no-harm!