Washington Voters Back Measure Separating School Sports by Sex

Initiative 638 was ahead in Washington’s unofficial returns on November 4, with ballots still being counted. If approved, it would direct K-12 students to join athletic squads according to their biological sex. School boards and other governing bodies would establish sex-verification rules, using one or more measures such as reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup or naturally produced testosterone levels.

The measure’s early lead marked a possible first: Washington would be the first state where voters, rather than lawmakers, approved a statewide rule separating boys’ and girls’ school sports. Supporters also described it as the first such voter-approved law in a blue state. They hope the result encourages similar efforts elsewhere.

Let's Go Washington founder Brian Heywood filed the initiative in June 2025. Organizers gathered more than 445,000 signatures, exceeding the nearly 309,000 needed to qualify it for the ballot. Tumwater High student Frances Staudt, who had spoken out after declining to play basketball against a male student who is biologically male, helped collect signatures and celebrated the measure’s lead.

The campaign gained attention amid a dispute over a transgender student who moved from a boys’ cross-country team to the girls’ team at Camas High School. The runner later won a varsity race, and roughly twelve girls on the team protested by leaving before a race began. Supporters of I-638 cited the episode as a reason for changing the rules.

Similar sports measures were also on ballots in Colorado, Arizona and Nebraska. Washington’s result remained unofficial as counting continued.

Washington Vote Advances Sex-Based Limits on School Sports

Washington voters appeared poised to approve a statewide restriction on which teams students can join, with Initiative 638 leading in unofficial returns on November 4. The measure would require K-12 athletes to compete according to biological sex and would make school governing bodies set verification rules using anatomy, genetics or naturally produced testosterone levels.

The ballot result was not final, but supporters were celebrating a possible first: a statewide sports-separation law approved directly by voters, and the first of its kind in a blue state. The outcome would give a voter mandate to rules that reach into school athletics and require girls to provide sex-verification information.

Let's Go Washington gathered more than 445,000 signatures to qualify the measure, well above the nearly 309,000 required. Its campaign drew on the dispute at Camas High School, where a transgender runner switched from the boys’ cross-country team to the girls’ team. The runner later won a varsity race, and roughly twelve girls on the team protested by leaving before the race began.

Supporters cast the measure as necessary to protect fairness and opportunities for female athletes. But the initiative’s passage would also establish sex-based eligibility and verification requirements across K-12 sports, rather than leaving the question to individual schools. The count was continuing, and the result remained unofficial.

Washington Voters Back Protections for Girls’ Sports

Washington voters appeared to endorse sex-based rules for school sports, with Initiative 638 holding a substantial lead in unofficial returns on November 4. The measure would require K-12 athletes to compete according to biological sex and direct school governing bodies to establish verification standards.

Supporters said the proposal addresses fairness and protects girls’ opportunities to compete. The campaign gained momentum amid controversy at Camas High School, where a transgender student moved from the boys’ cross-country team to the girls’ team, later winning a varsity race. Roughly twelve girls on the team protested by leaving before the race began.

Let's Go Washington founder Brian Heywood filed the measure in 2025. Organizers collected more than 445,000 signatures, topping the nearly 309,000 needed to put it on the ballot. Tumwater student Frances Staudt, who had declined to play basketball against a male student who is biologically male, helped with signature gathering and celebrated the early results.

If the measure is approved, schools would use one or more factors—including reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup or naturally produced testosterone levels—to verify sex. Supporters hope Washington’s vote will encourage similar efforts elsewhere. The count remained underway, but the measure’s lead suggested voters were willing to set a statewide standard for girls’ sports.