Sex Matters survey on public attitudes to men in women's spaces

[Forwarder]

Sex Matters survey on public attitudes towards women's rights. The splits on voting habits show why Starmer is swithering. :-(

https://sex-matters.org/posts/updates/less-than-a-third-of-brits-agree-with-stonewall/

Well, Stonewall et al can stop saying most people agree with their position. Most people don't.

I'd like one of these surveys ask about the opinions on replacing 'women' and 'girls' with 'people who menstruate' or 'individuals with a cervix' and so on. IOW, about the erasure of the female sex class.

I thought it was interesting that the stats for Tory voters and Lib Dem voters was broadly similar. Illustrating this isn’t just an issue for those on the right.

They are an amazing organisation. I’ve been meaning to support them financially for some months and this has given me the incentive to get on and do it. The cost of living has hit hard, but I’ve just cancelled something and redirected the money to them.

I hope these poll results are widely reported. Perhaps we can all start being braver in our face-to-face conversations.

They seem really useful stats to have

Yes maybe a bit less PhilnHolly and a bit more publicity for this. And other things that actually matter.

I wonder whether the BBC et al will acknowledge the forthcoming Westminster Debate. Guessing SM have released these results ahead of it.

Is it just me, or is anyone else surprised that the numbers are as high as they are?

High in which way @HipTightOnions ?

I'm really surprised that, for example, more than 25% agreed that men who identify as women should use women's changing rooms.

Labour voters seem most split three ways between women's rights, undecideds and men's rights.

Sport issues seems to be best understood all round.

Sport issues seems to be best understood all round.

But even there, 1 in 4 people think it's ok for men who identify as women to compete in women's sport. That seems a lot to me!

And 34% of Labour voters want transwomen frisking school girls! (38% don't)

Still people who don't understand the technicalities of it. Men, who are more likely to follow sport, are less supportive of transwomen in women's sports.

And 34% of Labour voters want transwomen frisking school girls!

!!!!!

A lot of people still assume trans women have had their male genetalia reshaped to approximate female, or at least are the traditional stereotype of effeminate and male-attracted.

The answers by voters who said they supported Labour did look different from the other political groups for a couple of questions.

That group believed (39% to 35%) that firms should not be able to exclude transwomen from female toilets if male, female, and unisex toilets are all available, and 40% to 31% believed that female-only associations should not be able to exclude transwomen from joining.

The youngest age group in the survey (the 18-24 group) also shows pluralities believing that transwomen should not be excluded in the same two cases but also that they should not be stopped from using female changing rooms and showers.

I agree with you HipTightOnions. I’m in disbelief the numbers are that high. It does state that they were clear that transwomen didn’t necessarily have any surgery.

I love SexMatters and support them financially, but this is a poorly worded survey question - both too long a sentence and, in effect, a double-negative ("should not be excluded").

Also agree with @FlirtsWithRhinos that many people still have no idea that being a transwoman can mean no medical treatment or even 'dressing as a woman'.

The SM website says the poll clarified that: “a transwoman is a person who is biologically male, but who identifies as a woman. They may or may not decide to have cosmetic surgery such as breast or genital surgery”.

I think some people will assume they are on hormones which aren't mentioned. I'm genuinely saddened at how many women are willing to let transwomen into women's spaces.

There's a strikingly large number of "Prefer not to say" responses across the board in Table 1 - I don't recall seeing anything like that in any other opinion poll on other subjects. People seem to be very wary of expressing their views. A very large number of "Don't knows" in the survey, too. All the more reason to have an open and honest public debate.

The numbers are trending each year as more people see the issues that have been dismissed and minimised in the past.

@TheBiologyStupid It would be good to see the data 'once don't knows were excluded' as well.

But good that Sex Matters have shown the full data too.

You can see the raw numbers by choosing to download the 'text only' bit, so it would be possible to calculate the answers with those excluded.