Four States Have Voted to Kick Men Out of Women’s Sports — Including Deep-Blue Washington and Colorado
Voters in four states have approved ballot measures restricting transgender athletes from competing on girls’ teams.
The measures passed in Washington, Colorado, Arizona, and Nebraska.
The results in deep blue Washington and Colorado are particularly notable following an election in which Democrats made major gains nationally.
In Washington, voters approved Initiative 638 with more than 56 percent of the vote.
The measure requires participation on girls’ school sports teams to be based on biological sex and requires healthcare-provider verification for students seeking to compete on female teams.
Colorado voters also approved Proposition 134, with roughly 52 percent supporting the measure.
The law requires school and collegiate athletic teams to be classified as male, female, or coeducational and generally requires students to compete according to their biological sex rather than gender identity.
Colorado voters separately approved Proposition 135, which prohibits certain gender-transition surgeries for people under 18.
Arizona’s Proposition 318 also passed with approximately 59 percent support.
The measure restricts transgender women from female school sports and also imposes sex-based rules governing bathrooms, locker rooms and other private spaces associated with school athletics.