Earlier this week was Trans Day of Visibility. Backbencher Atheism Horseman Jerry Coyne decided that a good way to celebrate it was by penning an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal whining about his cancelation from the Freddom from Religion Foundation for being a transphobe (for an explanation of the whole event, you should read this post from Friendly Atheist). 

In the op-ed “Losing my Nonreligion” (find it…I won’t link it, but you can read Hemant’s take), Coyne recalls the episode and how an institution such as FFRF has stopped believing in science because it stopped catering to his bigoted whims. He resigned from the FFRF advisory board along with Atheist Horseman Richard Dawkins and fellow backbencher Horseman Stephen Pinker. 

Over the years, these white, old atheist dudes (including, but not limited to these three as well and others such as Bill Maher and the not-that-old Sam Harris) have drifted to the political right. Sure, they often claim they are centrists. Still, in a country where we have a conservative party in the opposition and a reactionary movement governing, a centrist is just a polite right-winger at this point. This rightward embrace has placed them at odds with rank-and-file atheists. 

Secular People, Particularly Atheists, the Most Supportive of Trans Rights

Public opinion on trans rights shows that secular adults in the US are the most supportive of rights and/or more opposed to restrictions of transgender people’s freedoms. 

A 2022 Pew Research Center survey shows that secular adults (religiously unaffiliated) oppose transgender bathroom bans by a 2:1 margin (48% oppose, 25% favor). Among atheists, 70% oppose, and just 17% favor. Also, by a 2:1 margin, secular adults oppose making it illegal to teach about gender identity in elementary schools (52% vs. 26%); among atheists, 76% oppose, 13% are in favor. 

The only one of these policies in which secular people in general and atheists in particular are not overwhelmingly opposed is on the matter of trans athletes. And still, they are the exception as the most opposed to banning transgender athletes from competing as the gender they identify with. A majority of the country (58%) supports such a ban, while among the secular (45%) and atheists (34%), support is much lower. 

Secular people (52%) and atheists (70%) also support the government including gender identity options beyond the binary of male/female in documents such as passports. 

Pew, more recently, shows that US adults’ opinions have shifted somewhat for the worse, though support for trans rights is still higher among Democrats than Republicans. Most secular adults are Democrats or independents; atheists are the most Democratic-leaning of all secular cohorts. 

However, a PRRI report in March 2025 shows that secular Americans are among the lead opponents of two policy proposals. More than six in ten (62%) secular (unaffiliated) adults oppose laws restricting gender-affirming care for minors. Only Unitarians and Jews have higher levels of opposition, but the secular are more numerous, meaning that the secular account for a disproportionate amount of the 49% of adults opposing the policy.

A majority (54%) of secular adults also oppose having people display their assigned sex at birth on government IDs rather than their identity. 

On all these issues, Coyne and his fellow old white cranky atheist dudes look more similar to white evangelical Protestants, the most conservative religious group in the country.