Student-athletes in the state of Washington who wish to compete in girls' high school sports would be forced to undergo a genital examination should a November ballot initiative pass.
According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, the initiative would ensure that “students compete in athletic activities consistent with the gender assigned at birth,” echoing restrictions in 27 other states and effectively blocking transgender girls from joining girls’ middle- and high-school teams.
While the initiative claims that kids already have to prove sex before competing in sports, OPB found that to not be the case, noting that passage of the initiative would be a departure present norms.
The initiative is backed by conservative hedge fund manager Brian Heywood and his political action committee Let’s Go Washington.
“It’s at the expense of female athletes and their safety,” Heywood said. “This is not OK. Boys are welcome to play in whatever sport they want within the confines of their biological teams.”
Heywood claims the measure is wouldn't add anything new to existing regulations for high school student-athletes, but that appears to be false. High-school athletes in the state have been allowed to compete on any team that aligns with their gender identity since 2007, and they are not currently required to have a doctor sign off on their biological sex.
Justin Kesterson, assistant executive director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, which oversees middle and high school sports, said that the association is currently aware of just 10 trans athletes of the 200,000 who compete across the state.
Kesterson was unsure how the initiative would be enforced should it pass.
“ There will have to be broader conversations with other entities to provide that guidance,” Kesterson said. “There’s going to have to be conversations with the medical professionals across the state as to what is going to be required and what that looks like.”
