Washington Voters Pass Sex-Verification Rule for Girls' Sports

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Washington state voters have passed a ballot measure that bans transgender girls from girls' school sports. It is a loss for LGBTQ+ rights advocates in a solidly Democratic state.

What Initiative 638 requires

Under the measure, girls who want to play on school teams, from elementary to high school, need a healthcare provider's written statement confirming their "biological sex." The measure passed with nearly 57% of the vote as of Thursday morning, with counting still under way.

Of the four trans youth sports bans on state ballots this year, it was seen as the strictest. It would make girls document their sex with hormone or genetic tests, or with genital examinations. The rule applies only to women's sports. Boys face no similar procedure.

Doctors cannot rely on birth certificates to confirm eligibility. The initiative takes effect in December, though legal challenges are possible.

Who backed it and who objected

Let's Go Washington, a political action committee, introduced the initiative in 2025. It was founded by Brian Heywood, a hedge fund manager who has funded conservative measures.

Opponents warn that the measure could "force tens of thousands of Washington girls each year to undergo invasive, embarrassing, and potentially harmful genital exams just to play sports." More than 140 healthcare providers signed a statement against it.

Libby Loft, a family physician in Spokane, said: "I have to examine someone's reproductive anatomy – that seems inappropriate to me for a sports physical." She added that sex-verification rules create extra barriers for girls, who, she said, already leave sports by age 14 at twice the rate of boys.

Civil rights advocates argue that the ban is unconstitutional, violating students' privacy and equal protection rights.

Numbers behind the debate

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association said earlier this year it knew of only about 10 trans middle and high school players. More than 200,000 students compete statewide. For nearly two decades, Washington has allowed trans students to compete on teams that fit their gender identity.» (пересказ заменой слов) → при желании: «Trans students in the state have competed on teams of their gender identity for almost twenty years.

Supporters of such bans argue they protect "fairness" in women's athletics. Conservatives and anti-LGBTQ+ groups have made the issue a major priority.

More than 25 states have adopted similar bans, mostly through legislation. Arizona and Nebraska voters approved similar ballot measures this week. Colorado's proposed ban led in the first returns, and the contest is still undecided.

Source: The Guardian