Over 2.8 Million In US Identify As Transgender Despite Trump's Policy Of 'Only Two Genders'

Last Updated:August 20, 2025, 17:05 IST

Trump had stated that the official US policy would be to recognise only two genders - male and female - as his administration is now removing trans people from critical surveys.

US President Donald Trump. (AP/File)

More than 2.8 million people in the United States identify as transgender, including an estimated 724,000 youth, according to a new data analysis. The findings came despite President Donald Trump signing an executive order saying the US government will only recognise two genders – male and female.

A team of researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) used federal surveys and data from state health agencies to analyse the size and demographics of the trans population in each state. The data, shared with The Guardian and released on Wednesday, showed thousands of trans youth living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The findings contrast with Trump’s aggressive efforts to deny the existence of trans minors as his administration is now removing references to trans people across federal agencies, as per the report. The authors of the study have warned that their study could be the last comprehensive portrait of the nation’s trans population for a decade.

As trans people are now reportedly being erased from essential US surveys, including health reports and crime data analyses, the UCLA Williams Institute relied on 2021 to 2023 data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveys and records disclosed by state health agencies.

What Did The Report Find?

The report found that 1% of the total US population aged 13 and older identifies as trans, including 0.8% of adults (more than 2.1 million people) and 3.3% of youth ages 13 to 17 (roughly 724,000 people), The Guardian reported.

Moreover, young adults aged 18-24 are significantly more likely to identify as trans (2.72%) than those 35 to 64 (0.42%) and those aged 65 and older (0.26%). Nearly 32.7% of the trans population are trans women, accounting for 698,500, while 34.2% (730,500) are trans men.

The US state of Minnesota had the highest rate of adults who identify as trans, while Hawaii had the highest number of trans youth. “This is a substantial population that has unique concerns and barriers to getting their needs met, and lawmakers need to keep that in mind," said Dr Jody Herman, senior scholar of public policy at the Williams Institute and co-author of the report.

Trump’s Executive Order On ‘Two Genders’

Immediately after taking office in January, Donald Trump signed a series of executive orders targeting diversity programs and gender identity policies, demonising any recognition of gender diversity and particularly attacking transgender people.

In his inauguration speech at the US Capitol, Trump said “as of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female." This meant that official documents would be forced to “reflect sex accurately, and will not promote gender ideology.

Many in the queer community were alarmed by the election of Trump following a campaign in which the Republican put attacks on trans people and their rights front and centre. He also directed the state department to deny trans people accurate passports.

As federal agencies are removing trans people from critical surveys, the Williams Institute – a leading LGBTQ+ policy research centre – said it would be impossible for it to continue its analyses in their current form as the public would lose years of data.

Aveek Banerjee

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...Read More

Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master's in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international...

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United States of America (USA)

First Published:

August 20, 2025, 17:05 IST

News world Over 2.8 Million In US Identify As Transgender Despite Trump's Policy Of 'Only Two Genders'

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