Washington State Voters Pass Ballot Measure Banning Trans Girls From School Sports

Voters in the US state of Washington have passed a ballot measure banning transgender girls from playing on girls' sports teams, in a result described as a major loss for LGBTQ+ rights in a solidly Democratic state.

The measure, Initiative 638, says 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.

Initiative 638 passed with support from nearly 57 percent of voters as of Thursday morning, though votes were still being counted.

Voters in Arizona and Nebraska also approved similar ballot measures this week. A ban proposed in Colorado was leading in early results, but that race had not yet been called.

More than 25 states across the US have adopted similar bans on trans youth athletes, mostly through legislation pushed by Republican lawmakers.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association said earlier this year that 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. The state has for nearly two decades allowed trans students to play on teams that match their gender identity.

Opponents of the measure have warned it may subject girls to harmful scrutiny of their bodies. Opponents of Initiative 638 warned it 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 issued a statement opposing Washington's measure. Kelsey Gellner, a Seattle-based pediatric nurse, said last month that her number one job is to keep children safe and that girls do not want an unnecessary exam that creates an unsafe barrier.

The initiative was introduced in 2025 by a political action committee called Let's Go Washington, founded by hedge fund manager Brian Heywood, who has funded conservative measures. The measure was considered the most restrictive of the four trans youth sports bans on state ballots this year, as it mandates that girls prove their sex through hormone or genetic tests, or genital examinations. The measure only applies to women's sports, and boys are not required to undergo any similar procedures.

Medical professionals have also criticised the measure for not allowing doctors to rely on birth certificates to confirm a patient's eligibility to play on girls' sports teams. Libby Loft, a family physician in Spokane, said having to examine someone's reproductive anatomy seemed inappropriate to her for a sports physical.