A majority of Americans believe transgender individuals should be allowed to serve in the U.S. military, according to new research from Gallup.
The survey, conducted last month among 1,001 adults, found that 58% of respondents support allowing transgender men and women to serve in the armed forces. While this marks a slight decline from previous years, the majority opinion remains in favor of inclusion.
Support was highest among Democratic voters, with 84% expressing approval. In contrast, only 23% of Republicans backed the idea, a sharp decrease from 43% in 2019. Among Independents, support also declined, dropping from 78% to 62% over the same period.
The drop in Republican support coincides with President Donald Trump's recent efforts to reinstate a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military. Last week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a policy barring individuals with a "history of gender dysphoria" from enlisting, according to a newly uncovered memo. The move is now being legally challenged by six transgender service members, as reported by the Associated Press.
Trump's executive order, issued earlier this year, set the stage for the reinstatement of restrictions that had been lifted by former President Joe Biden in 2021. The Human Rights Campaign has condemned the ban as "dangerous and discriminatory," estimating that at least 15,000 active-duty personnel identify as transgender or non-binary. However, government officials have suggested the number is in the low thousands, according to The Guardian.
The policy shift represents another in a series of executive orders targeting the transgender community since Trump's return to office, including measures restricting gender-affirming healthcare and barring transgender women from competing in women's sports.