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@ISIDEWITHQuestionsSocial IssuesStarted 1yr agoActive 4wks ago

Should parents lose custody for intentionally misgendering their child?

Misgendering refers to addressing or referring to someone using pronouns or gender terms that don't align with their gender identity. In some debates, particularly around transgender youth, questions have arisen about whether consistent misgendering by parents should be considered a form of emotional abuse and grounds for loss of custody. Proponents argue that persistent misgendering can cause significant psychological harm to transgender children, and in severe cases, may justify state intervention to protect the child’s well-being. Opponents argue that removing custody over misgendering infringes on parental rights, may criminalize disagreement or confusion over gender identity, and could lead to overreach by the state into family matters.

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Answer Overview

Response rates from 6.8k Canada voters.

28%
Yes
72%
No

Historical Support

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Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from Canada voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @B8952WYfrom Ontario  answered…8mos8MO

No, but it should be seen as a form of child abuse and require mandatory diversity training and therapy to protect the child in their home and allow families to grow together with understanding

 @B84K83Kfrom Ontario  answered…8mos8MO

If they do that and possibly harm the child in any way, shape or form. Be it mentally, psychologically or physically. Then yes, the parent should lose their custody of the child

 @B6W354Mfrom Ontario  answered…10mos10MO

depends on situation. if it's a way of abusing their child, then yes. otherwise, it should depend on boundaries established by the child.

 @B5ZZS79from Ontario  answered…12mos12MO

I think it should be dealt with on a case-by-case basis. If the child is endangered as a result, then yes. If they would like to leave the custody of their guardian(s), then yes.

 @B5ZVCQLfrom Ontario  answered…12mos12MO

No, but if prolonged intentional hate towards the child results in intense emotional distress, they should lose custody

 @B5X7L7Qfrom Ontario  answered…12mos12MO

Yes, but only if they refuse to participate in educational courses to better understanding transgender people and allyship, or continue to misgender their child after doing so.

 @B897NG9from Ontario  answered…8mos8MO

No but I believe that if there was less anti-trans rhetoric being pushed this wouldn't be as much of a problem.

 @B8CV2BBfrom Ontario  answered…8mos8MO

this is often a sign of deeper issues between parent and child it should be a sign to look for other mistreatments of the child that could lead to parents losing custody of the child

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Should the government incentivize the construction of affordable housing?

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Based on 6.8k responses to this question.

These results come from iSideWith's ongoing political issues survey. We collect over a million responses per day, filter out duplicate and multiple submissions, and break the results down by political party, ideology, age, state, and census demographics (income, race, education, household).

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iSideWith. (2026). “Should parents lose custody for intentionally misgendering their child?” — Public Opinion Poll Results. Retrieved June 24, 2026, from https://canada.isidewith.com/poll/5425911844

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