Washington state voters pass measure banning trans girls from school sports

Washington state voters have passed a ballot measure that bans transgender girls from playing on girls' school sports teams, a major loss for LGBTQ+ rights in a state that has long voted Democratic.

Initiative 638 had support from nearly 57% of voters as of Thursday morning, with ballots still being counted. Under the measure, students in elementary, middle and high school who want to join girls' athletics must first submit statements from their healthcare providers verifying their "biological sex". Opponents have warned the requirement could force girls to undergo "invasive and extreme" genital exams to take part in school sports.

The measure is due to take effect in December, though it could face legal challenges. Civil rights advocates argue it is unconstitutional and violates students' rights to privacy and equal protection.

Part of a wider push

More than 25 states have adopted similar bans on trans youth athletes, mostly through legislation pushed by Republican lawmakers. Voters in Arizona and Nebraska approved similar ballot measures this week, and a ban proposed in Colorado was leading in early results, though that race has not been called.

Prohibiting trans youth from sports has become a priority for conservatives and anti-LGBTQ+ groups, who argue the policies protect "fairness" in women's athletics. Civil rights advocates say the policies are discriminatory and unnecessary, noting that trans youth have long played sports and that the restrictions target a small group of students already facing extreme prejudice and exclusion.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association said earlier this year it was aware of only about 10 trans middle and high school sports players, a tiny fraction of the more than 200,000 students competing statewide. Washington had for nearly two decades allowed trans students to play on teams that match their gender identity.

Medical providers object

More than 140 healthcare providers issued a statement opposing the measure. Kelsey Gellner, a Seattle-based pediatric nurse, said last month: "I tell my kids and patients that my No 1 job is to keep them safe. I can say with confidence that girls do not want to have an unnecessary exam that creates an unsafe barrier."

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." Loft said sex-verification requirements created additional barriers for girls, who are already twice as likely as boys to drop out of sports by age 14: "I don't see this as a way to level the playing field for girls, and we're making a villain out of trans girls who are children."

Critics have also faulted the measure for not allowing doctors to rely on birth certificates to confirm a patient's eligibility.

The initiative was introduced in 2025 by Let's Go Washington, a political action committee founded by hedge fund manager Brian Heywood. It was considered the most restrictive of the four trans youth sports bans on state ballots this year, requiring girls to prove their sex through hormone or genetic tests, or genital examinations. It applies only to women's sports; boys face no similar requirements.

Source: The Guardian World.