A measure restricting transgender-identifying boys from competing in girls’ school sports has passed in deep-blue Washington, drawing criticism from LGBTQ advocates.
The result came as Democrats made gains in other parts of the country. Supporters of the Washington measure say the vote shows that protecting girls’ sports can attract backing across party lines.
Initiative 638 would require a doctor’s signed note verifying a student’s biological sex and bar students who are biologically male from competing against female students.
With 78.5% of votes counted, the measure had received 56.8% support, or 1,438,212 votes. A total of 43.2%, or 1,094,168 voters, opposed it.
The group behind the initiative said girls had rallied around athletes who, it argued, had been made to compete against boys. One supporter celebrated the outcome as a victory for common sense.
Brian Heywood, the group’s founder, said the result showed girls that many Washington voters cared about keeping school sports safe and fair. He added that he hoped future athletes would not have to face the same dispute.
“Washington heard you,” Heywood said, addressing female athletes who had questioned whether their concerns mattered.
Trans-rights supporters, meanwhile, gathered at Seattle’s Westlake Park on Thursday to discuss the measure’s passage. Attendees described themselves as deeply upset. One called the result a “complete travesty,” while another said it could have a chilling effect on transgender people of all ages.
Initiative 638 was the only ballot measure to pass in Washington. Proposals to repeal a tax on millionaires and restore some parental rights in schools both failed. The contrasting outcomes may point to the particular resonance of the sports issue, though it is hard to draw a firm conclusion from one election.
A spokesperson for the initiative’s organizers argued that fairness is not a partisan concern, noting that Democrats and independents made up nearly half of those who signed the petition to place it on the ballot.
Jennifer Sey, who leads the athletic apparel company XX-XY Athletics, said the result showed that protecting girls’ sports was not simply a left-versus-right question. She called it a pivotal moment, while cautioning that the debate is far from over and that laws alone cannot change culture.
Sey said 21 states still lack protections for female sports categories. She added that Washington parents and athletes now have legal recourse, even as opposition to the measure is likely to continue.
