Is misgendering a person a criminal offense? Survey reveals almost half of millennials in favor of the idea
Nearly 50% of millennials think it should be a crime to refer to a transgender person using the wrong pronouns. According to a survey done by Redfield & Wilton Strategies for Newsweek, among respondents 25 to 34 years old, 44% supported the proposal while only 31 percent opposed it. The other 25% of survey respondents either didn't have an opinion at all or just said they weren't sure.
The survey did not ask the individuals who participated who should be punished for using incorrect pronouns. The 35 to 44-year-old age group had similar thoughts. A criminal offense for misgendering someone appeared to be supported by 38% of that group, while 35% opposed it. Twenty-six percent of respondents, or around a quarter, said that they were unsure or had no opinion.
Is misgendering a person a criminal offense?
Misgendering is not a crime. However, a survey done by Redfield & Wilton Strategies for Newsweek found that 44% of millennials between the ages of 25 and 34 think that using incorrect pronouns to refer to a transgender person should be a crime. While misgendering someone is not illegal, it can be painful and disrespectful to the person. Asking and using someone's chosen pronouns is always preferable.
According to the survey, more Americans stated they would use the requested pronouns to refer to transgender men and women than they would refuse to. Overall, 37% of respondents said that they would refer to a former man by the pronoun "she/her" if asked, 17% said they would continue to refer to use "he/his", 28% said it "depends on the person", and 17% said they were unsure.
Redfield & Wilton Strategies polled 1,500 American citizens
The topic has also gained attention, thanks to individuals like the scandal-plagued 26-year-old trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The term "millennial" refers to people who were born between 1981 and 1996, putting them between the ages of 27 and 42 today. The members of Generation Z, who are currently between the ages of 11 and 26, were born between 1997 and 2012. Misgendering of pronouns is being considered a crime in light of recent legislation restricting minors' access to some medical procedures and treatments in states with Republican governors.
Redfield & Wilton Strategies polled 1,500 American citizens who are eligible to vote on July 6 for Newsweek. However, the figure for millennials contrasts sharply with that for Americans as a whole, where only 19 percent want misgendering to be a criminal offense, while 65 percent disagree, 12 percent "neither agree nor disagree," and four percent responded, "Don't know."