Washington Voters Approve Ban on Transgender Girls in School Sports

Washington voters have approved Initiative 638, establishing restrictions on transgender girls participating in female school sports. The measure received 56% support, with the Associated Press declaring it passed on Wednesday evening, Nov. 4, 2026, following the statewide election.

The initiative, backed by conservative organization Let’s Go Washington, requires students participating in K-12 girls' sports to obtain verification of their biological sex from a healthcare provider. It also prohibits transgender girls from competing on female teams while leaving transgender boys' participation in male sports unaffected.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, which regulates the affected school competitions, estimates that approximately 10 transgender students currently participate in school sports across the state. Before the election, Washington had maintained a policy allowing students to compete on teams corresponding to their gender identity for nearly 20 years.

Let’s Go Washington celebrated the result in an election-night statement, emphasizing what supporters considered a victory for female athletes.

"This is a victory for girls... who have been told time and again by the majority party that their voices and opportunities don’t matter. The opposition was working overtime to tell these girls that their experiences were made up and didn’t matter. Tonight, those girls see that well over a million Washingtonians stand with them and care that their sports are safe and fair." Let’s Go Washington said.

The campaign's opponents warned that the requirements would affect female athletes statewide, not exclusively transgender students. Libby Watson, campaign manager for No Hate in WA State, reaffirmed support for transgender students following the result.

"To all trans girls participating in school sports in Washington, we want you to know that you belong: on the field, on the court, on the team. We stand with you and will continue to fight for a day when you can play sports without controversy," Watson said.

Watson also indicated that the opposition campaign would explore legal and other avenues to challenge the measure. She warned that the outcome could have implications for LGBTQ+ rights beyond Washington.

"I think it’s a very scary canary in the coal mine for future policies in Washington against the LGBTQ+ community and a dangerous signal for conservative movements across the country," Watson said.

Danni Askini, executive director of the Seattle-based Gender Justice League, also criticized the election results. She described the outcome as particularly difficult for transgender communities amid Democratic victories in other major races.

"It’s a very difficult moment for trans people to see this blue tidal wave, arguably the best election night for Democrats in congressional and statewide office races, but to see all four ballot measures pass on sports participation," Askini said.

Askini said Washington's initiative goes further than comparable measures elsewhere because it requires healthcare-provider verification for every student participating in girls' sports. She warned that the policy could subject cisgender female athletes to additional medical procedures.

"Washington’s version is extreme, requiring physical exams, a blood test, or a hormone test. I don’t think people realize this is going to affect every cisgender girl participating in sports," Askini said.

The Gender Justice League had opposed the initiative, arguing that its verification requirements could discourage girls from participating in athletics. Askini also discussed another Washington ballot measure concerning parental access to school-related information, which appeared headed for defeat.

"I think the public here was a little bit more familiar with how extensive it was, such as how it would have caused the forced outing of transgender students and would have allowed parents to veto certain sex-ed. curricula. I think that is part of why it went down," Askini said.

Washington Attorney General Nick Brown anticipated legal disputes over the election measures. Speaking at a Democratic election-night gathering, he said his office would evaluate challenges involving state laws.

"It’s still early to see how those are going to end up, but my job as attorney general is to defend Washington state laws from challenges. I assume there’ll be legal challenges to all those, but we’ll digest those once they come," Brown said.

The American Civil Liberties Union also indicated it would challenge restrictions on transgender students through discrimination litigation. Its chief political and advocacy officer, Deirdre Schifeling, expressed concern about the election outcomes.

"Our hearts are heavy as we acknowledge difficult losses around the country that will deny transgender youth and their families the rights they deserve," Schifeling said.

The Washington result formed part of a broader national shift in school sports policy. Ballot initiatives in Arizona, Colorado, and Nebraska also advanced restrictions on transgender athletes, giving President Donald Trump's education agenda support on an issue that has become a central part of his administration's policy priorities.

Arizona's Proposition 318 was projected to pass with 59% support and 84% of votes counted. The measure expands existing restrictions and also addresses access to restrooms and locker rooms based on sex assigned at birth. Nebraska's Initiative 443 was projected to pass with 68% support and 91% of votes counted, placing existing restrictions into the state constitution.

Colorado's Proposition 134 was ahead with 52% support against 48%, with 76% of votes counted. The measure would require school athletic teams to correspond to students' sex assigned at birth.

Sarah Parshall Perry, vice president and senior legal fellow at Defending Education, said the results demonstrated support for gender-related restrictions across political groups despite Republican defeats in other elections.

"It was very clear that the cultural issues, specifically as relates to gender identity, seem to be one on which a majority of Americans, both conservative and liberal, agree," Perry said.

Before the election, at least 27 states had adopted laws or policies restricting transgender girls and women from female sports. In June 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in West Virginia v. B.P.J. that such restrictions were consistent with the 14th Amendment's equal-protection clause and Title IX, while leaving open whether states could instead permit transgender girls to participate according to their gender identity.

The Supreme Court was also considering an emergency application from a Washington female wrestler challenging participation by transgender opponents. The application remained pending following the election, while the American Civil Liberties Union and other opponents prepared to contest the newly approved restrictions.