A study commissioned by the Trump administration has found a correlation between support for transgender ideology and a greater willingness to endorse left-wing political violence, according to a report set to be released Wednesday.
The research, conducted by academics from Rutgers University, the Manhattan Institute, and the Network Contagion Research Institute, surveyed 1,208 U.S. adults. It examined respondents' views on the importance of affirming gender identity, perceived threats to transgender individuals, and support for anti-democratic behaviors. The study titled "Where the Clinic Meets the Movement: Does Gender Ideology Arm Left-Wing Authoritarian Psychology?" posited that gender ideology might act as an "ideological accelerant."
"These findings suggest that gender ideology is associated with LWA [left-wing authoritarianism] and willingness to justify political violence," the study stated. Researchers noted that experimental research is needed to establish causality.
Respondents were asked about their stance on six potential targets of political violence: assassinating Charlie Kirk, assassinating Donald Trump, assassinating Brian Thompson, arson of ICE buildings, damaging property owned by wealthy individuals, and violence against police. The questions were developed using positions considered consensus by organizations such as the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.
"One of our study’s most interesting and perhaps shocking findings was that accepting gender ideology appeared to augment authoritarian attitudes on support for political violence," Colin Wright, one of the researchers, told The Post. He speculated that this could be due to gender ideology defining specific oppressed classes and their oppressors, coupled with narratives of harm for those who do not affirm transgender identities. Wright added that this aspect is speculative and will be addressed in a follow-up report.
The study also assessed beliefs about perceived threats, such as the possibility of a genocide against transgender individuals, and extremist responses like censoring or punishing those who oppose transgender dogmas. The researchers believe that left-wing authoritarianism and the Clinical Gender Affirmation Scale (CGAS), developed from the survey, will likely predict support for anti-democratic beliefs.
The report comes amid ongoing public discussions about incidents involving transgender individuals and political violence. The study notes that Nicholas Roske, who attempted to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, later identified as a transgender woman. The report also references a 2025 incident where Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot at a university campus in Utah. The alleged shooter reportedly had a transgender roommate. The study also mentioned school shootings in Minnesota and Tennessee carried out by individuals identifying as transgender. These specific incidents are presented within the context of the study's findings on the perceived link between gender ideology and political violence.