Every question, with its verbatim wording, its toplines, and a link to the pollster’s own release. Filters combine; the
address updates so any view can be shared.
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstituteContact & populationFeb 18–19, 2026
personally knowing a transgender person
Do you personally know anyone who is transgender?
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Wording notes: 'No' listed first
Response options as the pollster wrote them
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstitutePolitical salienceFeb 18–19, 2026
media exposure to transgender issues
How much have you been hearing or reading about issues related to people who are transgender lately?
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Wording notes: wording replicates Hart's April 2025 Q4 for Searchlight, enabling a same-client trend
Response options as the pollster wrote them
- A great deal
- Fair amount
- Just some
- A little
- Nothing
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstitutePolitical salienceFeb 18–19, 2026
whether Democrats focus too much on transgender issues
When it comes to transgender issues and policies, do you think Democrats are...?
Focusing too much on transgender issues
51%
Focusing about the right amount on transgender issues
35%
Not focusing enough on transgender issues
15%
- Sample
- 1,526 likely voters · ±3.7 percentage points
- Method
- online opt-in
- Where
- US national
- Source
- Pollster release↗(opens another site)
Full record
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Wording notes: replicates the Hart April 2025 item for the same client
Response options as the pollster wrote them
- Focusing too much on transgender issues
- Not focusing enough on transgender issues
- Focusing about the right amount on transgender issues
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstitutePolitical salienceFeb 18–19, 2026
whether Republicans and the Trump administration focus too much on transgender issues
And what about Republicans? When it comes to transgender issues and policies, do you think they are...? And what about the Trump Administration? When it comes to transgender issues and policies, do you think they are ...?
Focusing too much on transgender issues
41%
Focusing too much on transgender issues
40%
Focusing about the right amount on transgender issues
36%
Focusing about the right amount on transgender issues
35%
Not focusing enough on transgender issues
25%
Not focusing enough on transgender issues
24%
- Sample
- 1,526 likely voters · ±3.7 percentage points
- Method
- online opt-in
- Where
- US national
- Source
- Pollster release↗(opens another site)
Full record
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Response options as the pollster wrote them
- Focusing too much on transgender issues
- Not focusing enough on transgender issues
- Focusing about the right amount on transgender issues
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstituteGeneral acceptanceFeb 18–19, 2026
living free from discrimination vs. not being required to tolerate
Which position do you agree with more?
Transgender people should be able to live their lives free from discrimination and bullying
70%
Schools should inform parents if their child questions their gender identity at school
55%
Schools should protect student privacy about gender identity questions
26%
Individuals should not be required to tolerate transgender people or treat them certain ways
18%
Not sure
12%
- Sample
- 1,526 likely voters · ±3.7 percentage points
- Method
- online opt-in
- Where
- US national
- Source
- Pollster release↗(opens another site)
Full record
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Wording notes: the restrictive alternative is phrased as refusing to 'tolerate' people, an unusually harsh construction
Response options as the pollster wrote them
- Transgender people should be able to live their lives free from discrimination and bullying
- Individuals should not be required to tolerate transgender people or treat them certain ways
- Not sure
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstituteIdentity beliefsFeb 18–19, 2026
whether protecting or equally treating trans people requires acknowledging gender identity (split sample)
Which position do you agree with more? [Form 'safety', n=751] - Ensuring safety for transgender people means supporting their gender identity - You can protect transgender people without acknowledging their gender identity [Form 'equal_treatment', n=771] - Equal treatment for transgender people means supporting their gender identity - You can treat transgender people equally without acknowledging their gender identity
You can treat transgender people equally without acknowledging their gender identity
55%
You can protect transgender people without acknowledging their gender identity
51%
Equal treatment for transgender people means supporting their gender identity
33%
Ensuring safety for transgender people means supporting their gender identity
32%
Not sure
17%
Not sure
12%
- Sample
- 1,526 likely voters · ±3.7 percentage points
- Method
- online opt-in
- Where
- US national
- Source
- Pollster release↗(opens another site)
Full record
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Wording notes: split-sample test of whether 'safety' or 'equal treatment' framing changes the result
Response options as the pollster wrote them
- [safety/equal treatment] for transgender people means supporting their gender identity
- You can [protect/treat equally] transgender people without acknowledging their gender identity
- Not sure
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstitutePronouns & languageFeb 18–19, 2026
what counts as bullying of transgender people
In your opinion, which of the following actions towards transgender people would you consider to be bullying?
In your opinion, which of the following actions towards transgender people would you consider to be bullying? - Excluding someone from groups or activities because they are transgender - Refusing to use someone's name, or calling them a name other than the one they've asked you to use - Using someone's birth name, rather than the name they've asked you to use - Not acknowledging someone's gender identity, consistently referring to them as a different gender - Not acknowledging someone's gender identity, refusing to use the pronouns they prefer - Making fun of someone's appearance or clothing - Requiring someone to use the bathrooms corresponding to their biological sex - Preventing someone from using bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity
Making fun of someone's appearance or clothing - yes, bullying
82%
Excluding someone from groups or activities because they are transgender - yes, bullying
57%
Refusing to use someone's name, or calling them a name other than the one they've asked you to use - yes, bullying
57%
Not acknowledging someone's gender identity, consistently referring to them as a different gender - yes, bullying
45%
Not acknowledging someone's gender identity, refusing to use the pronouns they prefer - yes, bullying
38%
Using someone's birth name, rather than the name they've asked you to use - yes, bullying
37%
Preventing someone from using bathrooms corresponding to their gender identity - yes, bullying
31%
Requiring someone to use the bathrooms corresponding to their biological sex - yes, bullying
25%
- Sample
- 1,526 likely voters · ±3.7 percentage points
- Method
- online opt-in
- Where
- US national
- Source
- Pollster release↗(opens another site)
Full record
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Wording notes: the same underlying bathroom policy is asked twice in opposite framings ('requiring... biological sex' vs. 'preventing... gender identity')
Response options as the pollster wrote them
- Yes, this is bullying
- No, this is not bullying
- Not sure
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstituteSportsFeb 18–19, 2026
policies requiring athletes to compete on birth-sex teams
Do you support or oppose policies that require that transgender athletes compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with?
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Wording notes: uses 'the sex they were assigned at birth' rather than 'biological sex' in this item
Response options as the pollster wrote them
- Strongly support
- Somewhat support
- Somewhat oppose
- Strongly oppose
- Not sure
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstituteSportsFeb 18–19, 2026
school and professional sports placement, and federal vs. local authority
Which position do you agree with more? - Transgender youth should play on school sports teams that match their biological sex / Transgender youth should play on school sports teams that match their gender identity - Transgender adults should compete in college and professional sports that match their biological sex / ...that match their gender identity - Federal law should require school sports teams to place transgender youth based on their biological sex / Decisions about transgender youth in school sports teams should be left to states and local school districts - Federal law should require college and professional sports to place transgender athletes on teams based on their biological sex / Decisions about transgender athletes in college and professional sports should be left to the NCAA and professional sports leagues
Transgender youth should play on school sports teams that match their biological sex
59%
Transgender adults should compete in college and professional sports that match their biological sex
58%
Federal law should require college and professional sports to place transgender athletes on teams based on their biological sex
50%
Federal law should require school sports teams to place transgender youth based on their biological sex
48%
Decisions about transgender youth in school sports teams should be left to states and local school districts
31%
Decisions about transgender athletes in college and professional sports should be left to the NCAA and professional sports leagues
31%
- Sample
- 1,526 likely voters · ±3.7 percentage points
- Method
- online opt-in
- Where
- US national
- Source
- Pollster release↗(opens another site)
Full record
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Wording notes: 'biological sex' used throughout these items, in contrast with the 'assigned at birth' phrasing used in Q40
Response options as the pollster wrote them
- Biological sex option
- Gender identity option / local-control option
- Not sure
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstituteBathrooms & facilitiesFeb 18–19, 2026
K-12 bathrooms and locker rooms, including the single-stall alternative
Which position do you agree with more? - K-12 students should use school bathrooms and locker rooms that match their biological sex / K-12 students should use school bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity - K-12 students should use school bathrooms and locker rooms that match their gender identity / K-12 students who are transgender should use a gender neutral or single stall bathroom
K-12 students should use school bathrooms and locker rooms that match their biological sex
59%
K-12 students who are transgender should use a gender neutral or single stall bathroom
57%
- Sample
- 1,526 likely voters · ±3.7 percentage points
- Method
- online opt-in
- Where
- US national
- Source
- Pollster release↗(opens another site)
Full record
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Wording notes: the second item replaces the birth-sex option with a single-stall option, testing whether an accommodation alternative changes the result
Response options as the pollster wrote them
- Biological sex
- Gender identity
- Gender neutral or single stall bathroom
- Not sure
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstituteYouth medical careFeb 18–19, 2026
youth surgeries and puberty blockers, with and without a parental-consent option
Which position do you agree with more? - Gender transition surgeries should not be available to anyone under 18 / Gender transition surgeries should be available to minors only with approval from their parents and doctors - Gender transition surgeries should not be available to anyone under 18 / Gender transition surgeries should be available to minors without requiring approval from their parents - Gender transition care like puberty blockers and hormone treatments should not be available to anyone under 18 / Gender transition like puberty blockers and hormone treatments should be available to minors with approval from their parents and their doctors - Gender transition care like puberty blockers and hormone treatments should not be available to anyone under 18 / Gender transition like puberty blockers and hormone treatments should be available to minors without requiring approval from their parents
Gender transition surgeries should not be available to anyone under 18 (vs. parental+doctor approval)
66%
Puberty blockers and hormone treatments should not be available to anyone under 18 (vs. parental+doctor approval)
61%
Puberty blockers and hormone treatments should be available to minors with approval from their parents and their doctors
25%
Gender transition surgeries should be available to minors only with approval from their parents and doctors
21%
Gender transition surgeries should be available to minors without requiring approval from their parents
8%
- Sample
- 1,526 likely voters · ±3.7 percentage points
- Method
- online opt-in
- Where
- US national
- Source
- Pollster release↗(opens another site)
Full record
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Wording notes: each policy is asked twice, once against a parental-consent version and once against a no-parental-consent version
Response options as the pollster wrote them
- Not available to anyone under 18
- Available with parental and doctor approval / available without parental approval
- Not sure
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstituteAdult medical careFeb 18–19, 2026
adult access to hormone treatment and surgery
Which position do you agree with more? - Adults should be able to access gender transition care like hormone treatments after consulting with a physician / Adults should not be able to access gender transition care like hormone treatments at all - Adults should be able to access gender transition surgeries after consulting with a physician / Adults should not be able to access gender transition surgeries at all
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Wording notes: the restrictive option is an absolute prohibition ('at all'), with no intermediate restriction offered
Response options as the pollster wrote them
- Should be able to access after consulting with a physician
- Should not be able to access at all
- Not sure
TRTavern Researchfor Searchlight InstituteNondiscriminationFeb 18–19, 2026
business and landlord service refusal, and whether federal law should require equal treatment
Which position do you agree with more? - Businesses and landlords should be allowed to refuse service to transgender people / Businesses and landlords should be required to treat transgender people equally - Federal law should require businesses and landlords to treat transgender people equally / Federal law should let businesses and landlords set their own policies regarding serving transgender people
Businesses and landlords should be required to treat transgender people equally
69%
Federal law should require businesses and landlords to treat transgender people equally
59%
Federal law should let businesses and landlords set their own policies regarding serving transgender people
24%
Businesses and landlords should be allowed to refuse service to transgender people
15%
Not sure (federal law version)
17%
- Sample
- 1,526 likely voters · ±3.7 percentage points
- Method
- online opt-in
- Where
- US national
- Source
- Pollster release↗(opens another site)
Full record
Base: Q30/Q31 are a split sample (split_q40): n=751 received the 'safety' version and n=771 the 'equal treatment' version.
Wording notes: second version adds the federal-mandate frame to test how much of the support survives it
Response options as the pollster wrote them
- Allowed to refuse service / set their own policies
- Required to treat transgender people equally
- Not sure