Full Breakdown
Initiative 638: Proposed Ban on Trans Girls in Washington K-12 Sports
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event
If passed, the measure would bar transgender girls from competing on girls’ teams in K-12 schools and require all participants in girls’ sports to provide medical documentation verifying “biological sex” based on anatomy, genetics, or testosterone levels.
Background & Context
Transgender student athletes in Washington have historically been allowed to compete on teams that match their gender identity. Initiative 638 would be the first statewide effort to overturn that precedent for girls’ sports only; it does not affect transgender boys on boys’ teams. The measure is part of a broader slate of ballot initiatives backed by the conservative committee Let’s Go Washington, which also includes a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” proposal (Initiative 001) and a repeal of the state’s high-earners income tax.
Official Statements & Responses
Governor Bob Ferguson urged voters to reject the initiative, arguing it would force invasive sex-verification exams on girls. Let’s Go Washington’s spokesperson Hallie Herzberg countered that the requirement would simply add a checkbox to existing medical forms and that doctors already collect the necessary information. Herzberg also cited the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to argue that routine health exams, not sports physicals, are the appropriate context for any medical review, even though the AAP has not endorsed the initiative.
Data & Statistics
A Ballot Initiative Strategy Center poll of 400 Washington voters found that 43 % said they planned to vote in favor of Initiative 638. The same poll surveyed 800 voters about Initiative 001, with just under one-third indicating support.
What’s Next
The initiative will appear on the November ballot alongside the other Let’s Go Washington measures. Voter guides released by the committee describe the sex-verification requirement as a “standard procedure” tied to primary-care visits, while opponents warn that the language misrepresents medical practice. The outcome will determine whether Washington maintains its current policy of allowing transgender girls to compete in school sports.