On the issue of keeping men out of women’s sports, conservatives are winning one of their most decisive cultural victories in recent memory.
A new American Parents Coalition (APC) poll of 600 Maine voters, shared exclusively with The Daily Wire, is the latest evidence that large majorities of Americans oppose allowing biological males who claim transgender status to compete on women’s sports teams. The survey found that 63% of respondents, all registered voters, believe athletes should compete on teams that correspond with their biological sex at birth.
As the Wire reported, “The poll also found that 60% of respondents would support a ballot measure limiting participation in women’s and girls’ sports to biological females, including 64% of independents and 66% of parents with kids under age 18.”
Maine has become ground zero in the battle to protect women’s sports as Democrat Governor Janet Mills has clashed with President Donald Trump over the issue.
Shortly after taking office, Trump signed an executive order threatening to withhold education funds from states that allowed men to compete on women’s teams at schools that receive federal funding. Then, during a White House event in February, Trump confronted Mills to her face over her refusal to comply with the order. “We’ll see you in court,” she said to Trump.
In response, the Trump administration on Wednesday indeed froze the state’s federal funding. “Your defiance of federal law has cost your state, which is bound by Title IX in educational programming,” said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, whose department was responsible for the freeze. “Today, I am freezing Maine’s federal funds for certain administrative and technological functions in schools. This is only the beginning, though you are free to end it at any time by protecting women and girls in compliance with federal law.”
While Mills and Maine Democrats appear determined to hold their ground and adhere to left-wing transgender ideology, the APC poll shows that Maine voters are clearly on the side of the Trump administration.
Even more concerning for Democrats nationally, the Maine results actually lag behind national polling, adding to the overwhelming evidence that Americans across the political spectrum have aligned with the conservative position on this issue.
A January 2025 New York Times/Ipsos survey, for instance, suggests the debate may be all but resolved in the court of public opinion, finding that 79% of Americans oppose transgender female athletes – individuals born male but who now identify as female – competing in women’s sports.
A February 2025 Pew Research study also found that two-thirds of U.S. adults favor laws requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams matching their sex.
A 2023 Gallup poll further noted that from 2021 to 2023 there was an eight point drop (34% to 26%) in support for allowing males who claim transgender status to compete on women’s sports teams.
Even some dyed-in-the-wool liberals are beginning to see the writing on the wall. California Governor Gavin Newsom suggested in a podcast episode with Charlie Kirk, Founder and CEO of Turning Point USA, that he supports requiring athletes to compete on teams that correspond with their biological sex, calling it “deeply unfair” to allow men to compete on women’s teams.
Of course, as AMAC Newsline noted, Newsom’s sudden moderate turn is hardly believable. After all, he is the same self-described progressive Democrat who signed a law that made California the very first “sanctuary state” for transgender procedures on minors, allowing state courts to strip custody from parents – even parents of children who don’t live in California – if they refuse to acknowledge their child’s gender confusion.
Nonetheless, veteran Democrat strategist James Carville recently predicted that more Democrat leaders will follow Newsom’s lead in opposing transgender participation in women’s sports. “I think that’s a view that most Americans have,” Carville told Fox News. This remarkable shift from just a few years ago underscores how unpopular Democrats’ stance on this issue has become.
From a scientific standpoint, the physiological disparities between biological males and biological females are impossible to deny. According to Women in Sport, adult males have, on average, 40-50% greater upper limb strength, 20-40% greater lower limb strength, and 26 pounds more skeletal muscle mass than females of comparable fitness.
These biological differences translate directly to performance, with males showing 10-12% faster times in swimming and running, 20% better results in jumping events, and up to 50% greater weightlifting ability. In one study, even highly trained female athletes had weaker hand grip strength than 75% of untrained male subjects, with male handgrip measuring 541 Newtons compared to female handgrip at 329 Newtons.
But as public opinion polls show, there’s an even more basic reason for banning transgender-identifying men from competing on women’s teams: they’re not women.
Keeping men out of women’s sports – no matter what gender they claim to be – has become one of those rare issues on which politicians are deeply divided, but the public is not. Conservatives (and common sense) are clearly winning the day. The only question is if Democrats will acknowledge defeat or continue to put themselves at odds with a majority of the American people.
Sarah Katherine Sisk is a senior at Hillsdale College pursuing a degree in Economics and Journalism. You can follow her on X @SKSisk76.
A male is a male and a female is female. This is how our Creator made the human race to through Adam and Eve to be in the Image of God. Satan entered the picture by deceiving them to sin against the Word of God.
Now the answer to the last question of the article — The Democrats will never HONESTLY acknowledge their defeat and will continue to use the antics of Satan to continue to deceive themselves and the rest of the ignorant population that still fall under their influence.
I agree with Max in that the democrats will never acknowledge their defeat and please don’t be deceived by Newsom or any other of these blow hard democrat pundits are leaning to moderatism. They are not going to change. Our world under their rule is leaning way too much to socialism.
There are several reasons why a biological male wants to compete against women in sports, but the MAIN REASON is HE is NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO COMPETE AND WIN AGAINST OTHER BIOLOGICAL MALES. This has been proven over and over.
The ONLY WAY for these biological MALES to win, they MUST CHEAT. For these, (many with mental disorders who actually believe they are a women), while others MILK THE SYSTEM. Both types are cruel, disrespectful, and have a total hatred for females.
And ALL of these incredibly stupid supporters of such insanity and which many of whom are degenerate pervert themselves, also suffer from what is penned Delusional Denial. This is a disease effecting the part of the brain that is supposed to generate Common Sense, Rational Thinking and Reasoning. This disease is primarily found in 100% of Left-wing progressive, Socialist, Commies who pride themselves in their War on Women. .
The fact that the % of those responding against this isn’t higher than ~65% is astounding. And disappointing
It begs the question why do we even have female sports? Duh, because men and women are different *physically*. If it were just a mental difference then there’d be no need for separate sports.
20 YEARS AGO… If someone suggested biological males should play in women’s sports,the first reaction would have been a roaring belly laugh. There is no debate. There is only science and common sense. Unfortunately, until more women refuse to compete in this Fairy Tale (such as the recent women fencing example) this nonsense will not DIE.
Can you imagine the absolute uproar if conservatives tried to take any issue affecting less than half of one percent of the population of the world…and crammed it down the liberals throats? OMG, the noise that would ensue. This should NEVER have happened in the first place. Its honestly hard to believe how there are ANY registered Democrats left. If it wasn’t for all the lies and TDS, the dems would be at 10% favorability.
Simple solution – –
Girls should forfeit all sports activities when confronted with such a situation
Only an idiot or a fool would support this!!!! God made men and he made women. Men are not intended to compete with women in sports or in the locker rooms. How bizarre!!!
I believe the only reason a male would want to compete against females is because he was and is a total loser in male sports so that is his attempt to claim to be a winner.
As usual Democrats pick the wrong side of every issue. That’s what they do inherently. If it’s against common sense or against what the average American wants they are for it. I have no idea where their brains are or what they think cuz nobody thinks the way they do. Less than one half of 1% of the country is transgendered but they think the other 99% should bow and Kiss the ring. The Democrats will never win another election they don’t understand anything. Their priorities are Beyond mystifying, they are butt stupid
I find it strange that only men, who cannot compete with men in sports, suddenly want to call themselves “women”. I never hear of any male trying to be a woman, unless he has an agenda, either politics or sports, and actually goes the nine yards to try and convince himself and an unthinking public. We are Male and female, end of story. Lipstick and a dress does not make a man a woman.
If a male wants to live the life of a woman, that is their choice and vice versa. I do not expect to understand completely what this feels like, and most people never will. They are free to live their life on their terms with one exception. If they wish to compete athletically then there should be separation by a category for trans men and trans women, so that the compete with like skills. It is notable that we have only seen male to female trans wishing to compete in major sports such as the Olympics. I do not believe it has come up that a female to male trans has tried to compete against all male sporting events. Why is this so difficult to understand?
If men weren’t stronger than women there wouldn’t have been a need to lower standards for physical fitness in the military.
It’s incredibly insane that this is still happening.
I never thought I would see anything this crazy in America, that men can be women and a woman who aspired to be a member of the Supreme Court couldn’t say what a woman is. Only a people in decline could believe such nonsense.
My answer is no.
If the Democrats “follow the science”, like they like to yell from the rooftops, they would not support biological males in female sports. I am a registered nurse. These idiots that claim men can have a baby, are just that, idiots. Yes a woman who IDENTIFIES as a man, can have a baby, but a true man cannot, and probably will never, have a baby. Just like they cannot have cycles, no matter how many female hormones they take. It is pure evil to even suggest this. Let them have their own leagues, where who ever identities as male or female, can compete on a level playing field.
It is not a question of what percentage of the population believes males or so- called trans-gender persons be allowed to take part in women’s sports, it is absolutely not even a question – the answer is NO.
Just because a man is too much of a wuss to compete with men doesn’t mean he should compete with women.
It truly baffles my mind that the percentage of people that don’t want biological men competing against females is not much higher. It should be so much higher than the numbers cited. We really are in a mess and things aren’t going to normalize unfortunately.
“Large Majorities Support Banning Men in Women’s Sports”
Large majorities? Why is it not 99% or more? Do we have that many deranged people among us? If I were a female in any sport and were asked to compete against a male, I would refuse and also file a lawsuit. And if it were a team sport, I would ensure that the entire team joined me in refusing. This insanity must end.
Transgenderism is a mental illness. Instead of accommodating these people and supporting their mental illness, they should be sent for help.
Keep men out of women sports! Trump needs to quit with the Executive Orders and pass a bill in the Legislative Branch to settle this matter. The house and senate need to step up to the plate and legislate this matter!
The only people who do not oppose men in women’s sports are the far, far left who appear to be infected with a rare illness that causes half of their brain to die. It also is true of inc those who are trying to stop our president from deporting heinous criminals like the members of TDA.
If all it takes to be what you say you are, I’m pasting a Mercedes-Benz decal on my 94 Ford Ranger and selling it as a “collectible classic touring car”! This is a no-brainer… which explains why the left subscribe to it.
The democrats are using the Trans to divide this country. I heard one elderly gentleman say there are many different species of people. Where did he learn that. Gender dysphoria is a mental disorder not a physical one. After 85 years on this earth all of a sudden we have 72 different genders. The Muslims believe when they die a heroic death they get 72 virgins in the afterlife. In the Western world we have 72 genders? Come on? Pushing this crap from a Supreme Court Judge on down is nothing more than a power grab and who suffers? The person struggling with this mental disorder . It is disgusting how much the progressives and their spokes people are hurting these people. And the governor of Maine should be arrested for making these poor souls the center of attention not to help them but for their own power grab. The Good Lord created man and woman and they can’t be altered or interchanged.
God made man and woman. God did not make any mistakes. What is bad is that we even have to have this conversation. It’s unimaginable to me for anyone to question the gender they were born with. Humans do not get to choose their gender. Humans do not get to decide the gender of other humans. Even if it is or becomes scientifically possible to do so at or before birth. When humans overstep what God allows them to do, it will never be good.
There may be mixed sports, but trying to turn women’s leagues into mixed will never work, never be accepted — only can be forced to take place if the ruling elite can boss sports.
This should not be an issue!
Since the number of ‘transgender’ males competing in women’s sports is growing, give them their own teams. That will have the weaker male athletes competing against each other. They won’t like it because they still may lose, but it will give the female athletes their rightful ownership of FEMALE sports.
The political climate in Maine changed from solid conservative to ideologic liberal once the impact of hundreds of new residents fleeing the high tax structure of the Commonwealth of MA moved to Maine during the 1980’s, inundating the southeastern Maine coastline, causing high inflation in the housing market, dominating the purchase of oceanfront and lakefront properties, forcing true Mainers to move out of the areas they had lived in for centuries into the hinterlands and further out in the state. Janey Mills is a creature of that political change of climate an she is, in polite terms: no good, as a person, and as a governor. She mirrors her sister governor of MA, Maura Healey, also an anti-American, running the Commonwealth under a one party legislature.
What kind of man would want to compete against women?
The only reason this began was because of Democrats. Keep this in mind! No reasonable or logical reason for this to be at all! Framed by the Democrats who want to control societies around the World. Known to be Communism.
This is how a nation destroys itself when it no longer recognizes God and his creation of a man and women, these devils are nihilists.
WHAT?!?! ONLY 63% BELIEVE MALES SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO COMPETE IN FEMALE SPORTS!!!! WHAT A BUNCH (37%) ARE SCREWED UP MENTALLY!!!
Musk did interview on FOX this week & said that they have caught four of the soldiers that are burning up Tesla cars. Bret asked him if he knew the Generals & Musk said yes. My question is, why don’t they arrest these Generals to stop this wanton destruction at the car lots?
Boy I wish I could have said I was transgender when I was in high school! lol Why do you think boys are saying they are girls now.
Only those with some kind of self-serving angle would try to blur the boundaries of sexual identity…. which are self-evident and not subject to debate.
Put simply, I’m just sick and tired of these radical Democrats that keep making a big stink about stupid subjects (men in women’s bathrooms, men in women’s sports, open borders, etal). The debates end up dividing the people, costing too much money, wasting judicial and professionals time and energy needlessly and getting people hurt and killed, and lack common sense and science. I wish the Courts would start throwing out these senseless demands and save everyone money, time and frustration.
I don’t understand why this ever became a thing!!! Because it shouldn’t have!!!
I agree that a man is a man and a woman is a woman! It is discussing for a man to play in women sports!
This is a no brainer with anybody who has common sense! People who support this otherwise I hold alot of reservations regarding they’re walking around free.
I don’t know why this is even an issue, It’s really a no brainer. But we keep electing democrats.
Come on, y’all . . . . . . . . . there’s only one common sense rule for playing in women’s sports. You MUST have a vagina.
Segregating the sexes in contact sports and other sports that rely a great deal on participants’ body strength seems the safest way.
If the sport is bowling, that’s another story… while sports in the “Grey Area” are worthy of careful consideration.
DIMMs push an issue in which 80% [or more] disagree. even low-IQ people can tell the difference between boys and girls! And to think that for years, DIMMs called US “anti-science.”
If these transgender guys want to compete on a level playing field, let them start their own league: “The United Losers,”
These men that trans and identify as women are not women and it makes sense they should not compete against women! Check the DNA…. They are not women! I have the answer too. Men have always competed against men, women vs women! These people should compete against each other! Not against Gods Male or females! They chose to change and they should compete against each other. Taxpayers should pay taxes for male and female sports in schools only. God only created male and female genders. Transgender athletes should not be supported financially as far as I’m concerned. If they want to compete, let the DNA be the deciding figure and they would compete against their natural genders as always period!!!
In response to the article: DUH!!! But actually, isn’t it discrimination for only men in woman’s sports? How about letting women into the NFL or other men’s sports? But seriously, it’s sad to watch a male dominate in female sports. Especially in high school when a possible scholarship is at stake, or college or the Olympics or….. Those who don’t see the problem need serious counseling.
There should not even be a discussion about this males in female sports thing.It is just normal common sense to see that.Unfortunately in today’s world normal is about as scarce as honesty,especially in leftists cindered mind.