Millennials want misgendering to be illegal, poll shows

July 2024 · 2 minute read

Americans between the ages of 27 and 42, often called millennials, think misgendering should be made a criminal offense punishable by law, a Newsweek poll shows.

In a survey conducted for Newsweek by Redfield & Wilton Strategies, 44% of millennial respondents aged 25-34 agreed that “referring to someone by the wrong gender pronoun (he/him, she/her) should be a criminal offense.” Just 31% of respondents disagreed, while the remainder did not have a strong stance on the issue.

Among millennials in the 35-44 age range, respondents were more conflicted. In a nearly split vote, 38% felt misgendering should be illegal and 35% disagreed. Of those aged 18-25, a demographic often called Generation Z, 33% of respondents felt using the wrong pronouns should be a crime, while 48 percent disagreed.

Misgendering is the act of incorrectly identifying the gender someone identifies with, according to Oxford Dictionary. Several jurisdictions have considered or passed legislation that targets misgendering, though legal experts have repeatedly raised red flags about the constitutionality of such laws.

READ MORE | Michigan law could bring prison, $10K fine for gender identity harassment

The Newsweek poll found that Americans as a whole do not agree with millennials, with 65% of the country disagreeing with the idea that misgendering should be illegal. Likewise, just 37% said they would call a transgender person by their requested pronouns if asked.

The poll did not explore which sort of punishments millennials envision for those found guilty of misgendering. The results follow a Republican effort last week to make transgender males eligible for the Selective Service draft. Lawmakers ultimately decided not to vote on the measure.

“If these folks want to be treated like men, they need to act like men,” Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tenn., said when introducing the National Defense Authorization Act amendment.

A viewer poll conducted earlier this month by The National Desk (TND) found 96% of over 50,000 respondents do not want incorrect pronoun use to be a felony offense.

READ MORE | Americans strongly oppose felony charges for people who don't use preferred pronouns, web poll finds

Former President Donald Trump recently said he would punish doctors for providing gender-altering care to minors if elected in 2024.

The poll surveyed 1,500 eligible voters in the U.S. of all ages.

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