Science v. Fiction: Gen Z’s Skepticism of Disinformation Used to Justify Anti-Trans Legislation in the USA

US state legislatures introduced more than 500 anti-LGBTQ + bills in 2023, many of which specifically target trans youth. Anti-trans legislation is often supported by disinformation on topics such as gender-affirming healthcare. This study examined the extent to which Gen Z young adults believe such disinformation and the factors that predict belief.

Surveys were used in late 2022 and early 2023 to measure disinformation belief in a convenience sample of n = 103 undergraduate psychology students of different gender identities, SES, ethnicities, religious beliefs, and political views. Predictors included measures of conventionalism, such as social conservatism and religiosity, as well as transphobic attitudes, news consumption, and trust in government.

Large majorities of participants doubted several pieces of disinformation, such as the pernicious “grooming” assertion; expressed uncertainty about some, such as the gender/sex distinction; and were split on others, such as the alleged athletic advantage of trans girls. Male, socially conservative, and religious individuals tended to exhibit stronger disinformation belief, as did those who expressed more trust in government. Regression analysis showed transphobic attitudes to strongly predict anti-trans disinformation belief, above and beyond demographic factors.

The results are consistent with prejudice-driven reasoning, stressing the need for prejudice reduction along with misinformation mitigation strategies like fact checking.

The USA should reform media policy to counter the threat of disinformation and more widely adopt trans refuge policies that protect access to care and freedom from prosecution, and education policies that normalize gender diversity beginning in childhood.