Initiative 638: Inside WA’s ballot measure on sex verification in school sports

SEATTLE - Across Washington state, voters are weighing one of the most talked-about measures on the November ballot: Initiative 638, officially titled the "Defending Equity in Interscholastic Sports Act." 

If passed, Initiative 638 would reverse Washington's longstanding policy that permits transgender girls to participate on K–12 school sports teams matching their gender identity. The debate has drawn intense passion from student-athletes, healthcare professionals, lawmakers, and parents across the state as Election Day approaches. 

What a "yes" or "no" vote on I-638 means

Dig deeper:

For nearly two decades, Washington state policy and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) have allowed student-athletes to participate on teams consistent with their gender identity. Under current law, routine pre-participation sports physicals require only a healthcare provider's written clearance confirming a student is fit to compete. 

I-638 proposes a significant change to those regulations: 

• A "Yes" Vote: Amends state law to require school districts and interscholastic organizations to "prohibit biologically male students from competing on or against female students" in designated girls' sports, as it is written in the measure. It mandates that female student-athletes submit documentation from a healthcare provider as part of their routine sports physical verifying their biological sex. According to the initiative text, providers must rely on one or more of three specific biological criteria: "reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or normal endogenously produced testosterone levels."
• A "No" Vote: Rejects the initiative, leaving current state anti-discrimination laws and existing athletic participation guidelines in place.

Proponents: Preserving athletic fairness, protecting Title IX

What they're saying:

Supporters of Initiative 638, backed by the conservative PAC Let’s Go Washington, argue the measure is vital to ensuring fairness, safety, and competitive balance in female sports. 

Carol Brown, a three-time Olympic rowing bronze medalist who fought for athletic opportunities before Title IX existed in the 1970s, believes biological sex must remain the determining factor for sports categories. 

"Before Title IX, I was not allowed to participate in sport in Illinois. So, Title IX opened the doors, and I was able to walk through them to three Olympic teams," Brown said. "And that’s why I’m not willing to go backwards and make today’s girls fight the same battles again."

Brown emphasizes that the initiative does not bar anyone from participating in athletics altogether.

"The opposition accuses us of being anti-anyone, of hating anyone, of banning anyone from sports. That’s not my experience and that’s not what I stand for," said Brown. "Protecting girl sports for girls doesn’t mean boys and trans-identifying individuals can’t be in sport. It just means sports needs to be segregated by biologic sex."

The issue has also mobilized student-athletes on the ground. On October 13, Holly Burns and 12 of her teammates on the Camas High School girls' cross-country team gained statewide attention after choosing to walk off the course to protest competing against a transgender runner.

"Me and some other girls decided to walk off to protest the fairness of sports," Burns said at a recent rally. "I stand with those girls. I’m very proud of them for what they did."

"It’s a hard position to take publicly. And these girls are looking to adults to protect them and provide leadership," said Brown. "There are a lot of us that fought for where we are today, and we’re not willing to go backwards."

Opponents: Preventing medical barriers and supporting inclusion

The other side:

Opponents, organized under the No Hate in WA State coalition, view the initiative as an unnecessary hurdle that singles out young athletes and imposes medical, financial, and privacy burdens on all girls seeking to play school sports. 

Kelsey Gellner, a pediatric nurse and board member of the Washington State Nurses Association, expressed deep concern over the medical verification mandates. 

"Hormone testing and DNA are very hard to get, even if there is a medical reason, and very hard to have insurance cover. So, there is not a medical reason for those testings," Gellner noted. "That would just open a can of worms that has never been done in Washington state."

According to the WIAA, out of more than 1.2 million public school students in Washington, only about 10 self-disclosed transgender girls participate in school sports statewide each year. Opponents like Gellner point out that current policies already allow school administrators and athletic directors to address participation thoughtfully on a case-by-case basis. 

"All children should have access to play sports. We should not be putting up more barriers," said Gellner. "I also want to protect our girls. I don’t think this initiative is how we do it. I don’t think this is how we make sports accessible for our girls, I think this is how we prevent girls from playing sports."

Community members opposing the initiative also stress that high school sports should focus on personal growth and team unity.

"It shouldn’t be about coming in first, or second, or third in a race. It should be about learning who you are," said Karen Wood, a Camas resident opposing I-638. "It should be about teams embracing each other."

"It’s school sports. This is not the Olympics. There are things far more important for kids to learn in school sports than winning," said Gellner.

Campaign funding and governance impact

What's next:

Campaign filings show that supporters of I-638 have raised several million dollars to back the "Yes" vote campaign. Meanwhile, a broad coalition has formally announced opposition to the measure, including the Seattle Sports Commission, dozens of local municipal governments, school boards, medical associations, and civic organizations. 

If I-638 passes, the WIAA confirmed that its executive board will update its rules and handbook policies to ensure full compliance with state law. 

Washington voters must return their completed ballots to an official drop box or have them postmarked by 8:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 3.

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