Washington And Colorado Voters Approve Transgender Athlete Restrictions

Voters in Washington and Colorado approved ballot measures restricting transgender athletes in school sports, taking a policy associated with Republican-led states into two states controlled by Democrats.

Washington’s Initiative 638 was receiving roughly 57 percent support in the state’s unofficial count. Colorado’s Proposition 134 passed with about 53 percent, according to preliminary results. Officials in both states were still completing the canvass, but the races had been called.

The Washington measure bars students it defines as biologically male from competing in female-only K-12 athletic events.

Students seeking to join girls’ teams must submit a signed statement from a health-care provider verifying sex through reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup or naturally produced testosterone levels.

Colorado’s measure reaches K-12 schools and colleges. It requires teams to be designated male, female or coeducational and generally limits athletes to teams matching their sex as defined by reproductive biology. It allows a female athlete to join a male team if no female team is offered.

Supporters framed both campaigns around competitive fairness and athletic opportunities for girls. Brian Heywood, founder of the group behind Washington’s initiative, called the result a victory for girls whose “voices and opportunities don’t matter” to the state’s majority party.

Opponents warned that the rules could expose transgender students and other girls to invasive scrutiny. Colorado advocate Nadine Bridges said a girl who is “too tall or too strong” could face questions about whether she is transgender.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association said it knew of roughly 10 transgender students participating in school sports statewide before the vote.

Opponents argued that the small number showed the initiative targeted a vulnerable group. Supporters said a statewide rule was needed before disputes became more common.

The results are politically significant because lawmakers in Washington and Colorado had not adopted the restrictions through their Democratic-led legislatures. Supporters instead put the issue directly before voters.

More than half of U.S. states already have some form of transgender-athlete restriction, although courts have blocked or narrowed some policies.

Washington election officials stressed that results remain unofficial until certification on December 3.

“The results reported on election night are just the beginning,” Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said as counties continued to verify signatures and count ballots.

Colorado’s governor-elect, Phil Weiser, signaled that implementation could face scrutiny. “I don’t believe it would be acceptable” to subject every student athlete to full-body examinations or similar privacy invasions, he said after the election.

The measures now move from campaigns into rulemaking, where schools, athletic associations and state agencies will determine how eligibility is verified and enforced. Legal challenges are also possible as courts continue weighing similar restrictions around the country.