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July 12, 2026

Poll Finds Majority Support for Federal Ban After Supreme Court Sports Ruling

The headline result
Federal ban
54%
Support decision
8%
Weigh fairness and inclusion
8%
Individual cases
11%
Gender identity
15%
None of the above
4%
 See the details below →

A recent Supreme Court decision has renewed national attention on how school sports teams are defined and who is eligible to participate. The case centered on laws in Idaho and West Virginia that limit girls’ teams to biological females, which were challenged under federal law.

Because the ruling interprets Title IX, it has implications for schools nationwide and for states that have already enacted similar policies. The issue continues to prompt a range of views about fairness, inclusion, and how participation rules should be set.

We wondered what Americans think about the June 30, 2026 Supreme Court ruling allowing states to bar biological males who identify as female from girls’ school sports teams. So we asked 585 registered voters (MoE of 4.1%) from July 6 to July 12, 2026 about it.

What voters said

A majority of respondents, 54%, said “There should be a federal ban from biological males in female sports,” making it the clear leading position in the poll. The next largest share, 15%, said “Sport participation should be based on gender identity instead of sex,” followed by 11% who favored evaluating participation “on a by individual case-by-case basis.”

Smaller groups selected other approaches: 8% said they “support the Supreme Court decision,” and another 8% said “fairness and inclusion should both be weighed, without a blanket rule either way,” while 4% chose “None of the above.” Overall, the distribution is uneven, with a majority coalescing around a federal ban and the remaining responses spread across several alternative viewpoints.

Across the political spectrum

Responses differ markedly across the political spectrum. On the Right, 90% chose “There should be a federal ban from biological males in female sports,” with similarly strong support among the Moderate Right at 83%. The Center also leans in that direction, with 64% selecting a federal ban, though smaller shares in this group support the Supreme Court decision (13%) or other options.

On the Left, the pattern shifts. A majority, 55%, chose “Sport participation should be based on gender identity instead of sex,” while 24% preferred case-by-case decisions and 11% favored weighing fairness and inclusion without a blanket rule. Among the Moderate Left, views are more mixed, with 28% supporting a federal ban, 21% backing case-by-case decisions, and 21% favoring a balanced approach. These differences illustrate a clear ideological divide in how respondents approach the issue.

Zooming out

The results show that while one position holds majority support overall, opinions vary widely depending on political perspective. As states continue to implement or consider policies under the Court’s ruling, these differing viewpoints are likely to shape ongoing debates about school sports and participation rules.

The Details

The answers as asked

Charts and tables use the short label at the start of each line.

  1. Federal ban: There should be a federal ban on biological males participating in female sports.
  2. Support decision: I support the Supreme Court decision.
  3. Weigh fairness and inclusion: Fairness and inclusion should both be weighed, without a blanket rule either way.
  4. Individual cases: Sport participation should be evaluated on an individual, case-by-case basis.
  5. Gender identity: Sport participation should be based on gender identity instead of sex.

Explore by group

Weighted results across 8 demographic dimensions — every number from the same run.

Left
11%
24%
55%
Moderate Left
28%
21%
21%
14%
9%
Center
64%
13%
Moderate Right
83%
11%
Right
90%
9%
Federal banSupport decisionWeigh fairness and inclusionIndividual casesGender identityNone of the above

The full crosstab table

ActiVote · Supreme Court Transgender Sports Ruling · July 12, 2026
ActiVote 585 RV Unweighted Weighted Federal ban Support decision Weigh fairness and inclusion Individual cases Gender identity None of the above
National ±4.1% MoE 100% 100% 54% 8% 8% 11% 15% 4%
Political Spectrum Left 29% 20% 5% 1% 11% 24% 55% 5%
Moderate Left 30% 20% 28% 7% 21% 21% 14% 9%
Center 15% 20% 64% 13% 6% 7% 5% 5%
Moderate Right 14% 20% 83% 11% 1% 3% 0% 2%
Right 12% 20% 90% 9% 0% 0% 0% 1%
Region rural 36% 34% 54% 7% 9% 11% 15% 5%
suburban 32% 30% 54% 10% 6% 12% 14% 4%
urban 32% 35% 54% 8% 8% 10% 16% 4%
Age 18-29 25% 16% 43% 7% 7% 11% 27% 4%
30-49 38% 32% 47% 10% 8% 11% 18% 5%
50-64 20% 23% 61% 13% 4% 10% 8% 5%
65+ 17% 28% 63% 3% 11% 12% 9% 2%
Gender F 30% 53% 50% 6% 10% 10% 19% 4%
M 70% 47% 58% 11% 5% 12% 10% 4%
Affiliation D 44% 36% 22% 6% 15% 20% 32% 4%
R 28% 31% 89% 8% 0% 1% 1% 0%
I 23% 30% 58% 12% 7% 8% 7% 9%
Ethnicity White 83% 66% 54% 8% 9% 12% 11% 6%
Black 9% 11% 48% 11% 7% 9% 21% 4%
Latino 5% 15% 62% 9% 2% 3% 24% 0%
Income Low 26% 25% 47% 7% 10% 10% 20% 5%
Middle 30% 30% 54% 12% 7% 10% 14% 3%
High 44% 44% 58% 7% 7% 12% 12% 5%
Education Highschool 22% 26% 53% 7% 10% 12% 15% 4%
Some College 64% 60% 58% 7% 7% 8% 16% 5%
BSC+ 14% 14% 40% 18% 5% 24% 10% 3%
Methodology. Fielded July 6 – July 12, 2026 among 585 registered voters nationwide. Responses weighted by Demographics and Spectrum. Average expected error ±4.1%. See Why trust our polls? for the methodology, disclosures and accuracy record.