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Moral Reframing and Transgender Athlete Bans: In-groups, Out-groups, and a Future Research Agenda

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 June 2025

Kimberly Martin Open the ORCID record for Kimberly Martin [Opens in a new window]  and
Elizabeth Rahilly
Kimberly Martin
Affiliation:
Georgia Southern University , USA
Elizabeth Rahilly
Affiliation:
Georgia Southern University , USA
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Abstract

Scholars have long touted the power of moral convictions in shaping political attitudes. Moral reframing involves designing messages that align with an opponent’s moral convictions with the goal of increasing their willingness to adopt that position. Using lessons from the literature on political psychology, we examine the rhetoric used by legislators supporting and opposing transgender athlete bans in US states to determine how moral reframing was used. We find that the moral convictions of both sides, coupled with their emphasis on in-groups and out-groups, lead legislators to interpret the fundamental principles of the bills differently. This dynamic renders it challenging to reframe moral arguments in a manner that might sway opponents. Additional research is needed to study the efficacy of moral reframing in legislative debates on transgender-related policies.

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Article
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PS: Political Science & Politics , Volume 58 , Issue 3: Contemporary and Future LGBTQ+ Scholarship in Political Science , July 2025 , pp. 461 - 465
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of American Political Science Association

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