By Brian Anderson
I-638 will restore fairness and dignity to girls’ sports in Washington State by restricting girls’ sports to biological girls (i.e., females). Here are two of examples of how Washington State’s transgender sports policy undermines safety and fairness for female athletes.
- Kallie Keeler is a 15-year-old wrestler who claims she was sexually assaulted by a transgender girl (i.e., male) opponent in a girls’ wrestling match in December. Keeler does not want to wrestle any more males, but because her school could not guarantee that, she withdrew from wrestling and is now challenging Washington’s policy in federal court.
- Lauren Matthew placed second in the Girls’ 400-meter Washington State Track Championship. It was the second year in a row she finished behind a male competitor. She protested by refusing to stand on the podium during the awards ceremony.
In Washington State over the last four years, just nine males took 148 top-three finishes in high school sports (hecheated.org). Girls are also subjected to males in their locker rooms. How many girls have dropped out of sports altogether because of these policies?
If robbing hundreds of girls of their rightful accolades and opportunities is not too many, how many is? Even one is too many. These girls are the invisible victims of our state’s policy. Girls’ sports build girls’ leadership and teamwork skills, confidence, and they are where college and professional athletes develop their skills.
Broad Support Exists to Protect Girls’ Sports
Most states, along with the NCAA, NAIA, International Olympic Committee, and other major organizations that govern athletic competition, have adopted policies that restrict female athletic competition based on biological sex. But we don’t need studies to tell us that most males are bigger, stronger, and faster than most females. This is why we have a separate category for girls’ athletic competitions.
The majority of athletics experts entrusted by our state to regulate K12 sports – the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) – don’t want males competing in girls’ K-12 sports. Last year, a majority of the WIAA Representative Assembly voted on an amendment that would have restricted girls’ sports to females. It fell one vote short of the 60% needed to pass.
Not only is Washington State’s current girls’ sports policy unfair, it’s a violation of the rights granted to female athletes. Title IX grants females the right to equal sporting opportunities “on the basis of sex,” not gender identity. I-638 would align Washington’s K-12 policy with Title IX requirements.
Polls show opposition to males competing in women’s and girls’ sports. Nationally, 73% of Americans, including 55% of Democrats/Democratic-leaning adults, opposed such participation in a 2025 Pew Research survey; a 2025 NYT/Ipsos poll found opposition at 79% overall and 67% among Democrats/Democratic-leaning adults.
We need a citizen’s initiative to correct this injustice because Democratic politicians in Washington State are out of touch with their voters on this issue.
Correcting Misinformation from Opponents
- Critics claim I-638 would apply to elementary-school girls. However, I-638 requirements are tied to routine sports physicals, which begin with interscholastic sports in middle school.
- The initiative does not “ban transgender athletes from competing in sports.” It restricts girls’ sports to females. Males who identify as girls can compete in boys’ sports or in a separate “open” category, should the WIAA create one, as they discussed last year.
- Critics have questioned why schools cannot use birth certificates to verify sex. This is because, in Washington State, the “sex” marker on a birth certificate can be changed and therefore does not necessarily reflect a person’s sex.
- Initiative opponents are distorting the requirement that a doctor vouch for the sex of an athlete. Under the initiative, a doctor can rely on genetic makeup, testosterone levels, or reproductive anatomy. A person’s sex is documented in their medical record, based on past exams. Medical associations such as the AAP recommend regular physicals for all children, including genital examinations as part of adolescent wellness physicals. The initiative does not require genital inspections or pelvic exams in sports physicals or repeated verification as opponents claim.
I will finish with one question for the opponents of I-638. Why should female athletes be asked to give up their right to fair play and opportunities in girls’ sports?
Brian Anderson is the State Coordinator for Washington Supporters of “Democrats For An Informed Approach To Gender” (DIAG). DIAG is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. DIAG is a group of lifelong Democratic voters working to restore the sex-based rights of females and prevent harm to children from unnecessary medical treatments.
