More than 60 percent of Americans who identify as Christian think a person's gender is determined at birth while more than 60 percent who are not religious disagree with that, according to the latest Pew Research Center analysis.
Among Christians, 63 percent say birth determines gender; among "unaffiliated" Americans, 62 percent say one's sex can be different from how you were born, according to Pew.
Other results, according to Pew's analysis:
- 84 percent of white evangelicals say birth determines gender.
- 68 percent of Protestants say birth determines gender.
- 51 percent of Catholics say birth determines gender.
- 71 percent of atheists/agnostics say gender can be different from birth.
Further, the deep divide on the issue extends to attitudes about whether society is too accepting — or not accepting enough — of transgender people.
Christians overall are fairly close in their assessment of acceptance, according to Pew:
- 39 percent overall say society has gone too far in accepting transgendered.
- 31 percent say it's just about right.
- 28 percent say society hasn't gone far enough to accept them.
However, 61 percent of white evangelicals say society has gone too far; 65 percent of atheists/agnostics say society hasn't gone far enough to accept transgendered.
White evangelicals also are the least likely to know a transgendered person (25 percent) while 50 percent of atheists/agnostics know one, according to Pew.
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.