“Protect the women!” Trans‐exclusionary feminist issue framing and support for transgender rights

Abstract

An increasingly salient policy innovation pursued by LGBT+ rights groups and socially liberal policy entrepreneurs is the right of trans people to bring their legally recorded sex in line with their lived gender by way of self-identification. In response to these moves toward trans inclusion, a unique coalition of trans-exclusionary (gender critical) feminists and traditionalist conservatives has emerged to challenge these reforms. This coalition of policy opponents, mirroring historical issue frames that present homosexuals as predatory sexual deviants, campaign on a salient issue frame that presents transgender individuals and the expansion of trans rights as an inimical threat to the security, safety, and welfare of (cisgender) women, particularly in singlesex spaces. In this paper, we address two questions. First, we ask: do trans-exclusionary "protect women" issue frames over the alleged threat of trans persons to (cis) women shape mass public opinion? Second, we ask: in a relatively LGBT+ friendly policy environment, who supports the right to self-identification for trans individuals? We answer these questions via an original pre-registered survey experiment embedded within the 2021 Scottish Election Study. We find that trans-exclusionary issue frames appealing to (cis) women's safety significantly depress support for trans rights, particularly among women respondents. Highlighting these concerns is an effective means of increasing already robust opposition to reforms designed to improve the welfare of transgender individuals, which should be of concern for proponents of self-identification policies.

Value frames in discourse supporting transgender athlete bans

“…So, if we don't stand up today and start defending women right now, this is gonna continue in perpetuity. (Senator Mike Thompson, Kansas Senate, April 9, 2021) Framing the debate in the most objectionable terms possible to persuade the target audience is not uncommon in value framing (Schonhardt-Bailey, 2008): 'In the concrete case of trans rights, frames that rely on demonizing an outgroup are likely to be particularly effective' (Turnbull-Dugarte and McMillan, 2022). Along those lines, some legislators took the fear of gender variance a step further by framing athlete bans as a direct means of combating the growth of gender dysphoria, which they termed a dangerous mental illness or 'disease' that needs treatment and prevention:…”

“…It serves to invoke a positive image of men as protectors while reinforcing a gendered paternalistic hierarchy. Benevolent sexism manifests in value frames that present ‘transgender individuals and expansion of trans rights as an inimical threat to the security, safety, and welfare of cisgender women’ (Turnbull-Dugarte and McMillan, 2022). These frames are effective at decreasing support for transgender rights among men and women.…”

“…Scholars have examined issue framing of transgender politics from the perspective of interest groups and the media (Tadlock, 2014), trans-exclusionary feminists and traditional conservatives (Turnbull-Dugarte and McMillan, 2022), and anti-trans advocacy groups (Stone, 2019). In each example, researchers find that frames emphasizing values such as tradition, equality/fairness and safety/security are consistently utilized to justify opposition to transgender rights policies (Tadlock, 2014; Turnbull-Dugarte and McMillan, 2022).…”

“…Scholars have examined issue framing of transgender politics from the perspective of interest groups and the media (Tadlock, 2014), trans-exclusionary feminists and traditional conservatives (Turnbull-Dugarte and McMillan, 2022), and anti-trans advocacy groups (Stone, 2019). In each example, researchers find that frames emphasizing values such as tradition, equality/fairness and safety/security are consistently utilized to justify opposition to transgender rights policies (Tadlock, 2014; Turnbull-Dugarte and McMillan, 2022). For instance, with regard to recent debates on bathroom use, transgender rights counter-movements frame transgender women as predators and sexual ‘others’, who would harm cisgender women and children if permitted access to women’s restrooms (Schilt and Westbrook, 2015).…”

Editorial introduction: Exploring theories and subtleties of the policy process

“…In their article “‘Protect the Women!’ Trans‐Exclusionary Feminist Issue Framing and Support for Transgender Rights,” Turnbull‐Dugarte and McMillan (2023) investigate the rising opposition to the right of transgender individuals to self‐identify their gender via legal means. A coalition of trans‐exclusionary feminists and traditionalist conservatives has emerged, presenting transgender individuals as a threat to the safety and security of cisgender women in single‐sex spaces.…”