ACLU sues Washington state after voters pass measure to ban boys from girls’ sports
I-638 succeeded by 11 points statewide, with the majority of WA counties voting overwhelmingly in favor of protecting fairness in girls’ sporting competitions.
The ACLU and Pacific Law Group has filed a lawsuit against the state of Washington’s newly passed voter initiative that prohibits boys from competing in women’s sports. The law is set to take effect on December 3.
Results show that I-638 succeeded by 11 points statewide, with the majority of WA counties voting overwhelmingly in favor of protecting fairness in girls’ sporting competitions. The initiative requires students, as part of a routine sports physical, to provide a signed statement from their healthcare provider that verifies their biological sex through reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, and/or testosterone levels.
Some counties passed the measure with more than 70 percent support. However, the state’s most highly populated and progressive county, King (Seattle), voted against the initiative at about 58 percent, according to data.
Now, an effort is underway to overturn the will of the people.
The plaintiffs in this case, filed in King County, include the Washington Education Association (WEA), a local nonprofit called TransFamilies, and parents of students whose trans-identifying kids play on girls’ sports teams. The lawsuit was filed on several claims that the law is unconstitutional, according to the complaint.