A majority of Americans support allowing openly transgender men and women to serve in the military, while courts are still ruling on the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's ban on transgender military service members, according to a new Gallup poll.
The survey, conducted from May 15-30 of a random sample of 1,017 adults and carrying a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points, showed that 71% of Americans support allowing transgender men and women in the military, with Democrats far more likely than Republicans to agree:
- Republicans, 43%;
- Democrats, 88%;
- Independents, 78%;
- Adults with military experience, 56%;
- Nonveterans, 73%.
The poll was conducted before a U.S. Court of Appeals decision in San Francisco last week that ordered a lower court judge in Seattle to reconsider her ruling against Trump's restrictions, allowing the ban to remain for the time being.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Democrat-controlled House voted to block funding for the policy, but the Senate is expected to block their measure.
Gallup noted that the findings were similar to those in 2010 when Gallup found most Americans supported allowing openly gay people to serve in the military.
Meanwhile, Americans remained split on policies concerning public restrooms, with 51% saying transgender people should have to use facilities that correspond with their birth gender and 44% saying restrooms should be used that correspond with gender identity.
Mostly men, at 61%, and Republicans, at 78%, favored restroom assignment based on birth gender, but Democrats, at 66%, and adults aged 18 to 29, 61% favored permitting bathroom choice based on gender identity.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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