Washington voters to decide on transgender girls sports initiative

Across Washington, voters are weighing a contentious measure on the election ballot. We're talking about Initiative 638, the Defending Equity in Interscholastic Sports Act. Its goal is to reverse the state's longstanding policy allowing transgender girls to play on school sports teams matching their gender identity. Fox 13's Frankie Thompson explains what a yes or no vote could mean and where both sides stand. The debate over Initiative 638 has drawn strong passion from the athletes, medical professionals, lawmakers, and parents across Washington, even making national headlines. Now both sides are speaking louder as each day inches closer to November 3rd. There are a lot of us that fought for where we are today and we're not willing to go backwards. Thank you for attempting to protect our girls But this is not how we do it. For nearly two decades, Washington state policy and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association have allowed student athletes to participate on teams consistent with their gender identity. Under current law, routine sports physicals only require a medical professional's written clearance confirming a student is fit to play. I-638 would change those rules. While a no vote would maintain current anti-discrimination laws and existing athletic eligibility rules, a yes vote, according to the measure, means schools must prohibit biologically male students from competing with and against female students in designated girls sports. It would require any student wanting to join a girls team to submit verification of their biological sex from a healthcare provider as part of their routine sports physical. I-638 states that doctors can verify biological sex using three specific criteria, reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or endogenously produced testosterone levels. Protecting. Girls 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. Carol Brown supports 638, backed by Let's Go Washington. She's an Olympic bronze medalist who fought for sports access before Title IX existed. Brown says she believes this measure is necessary to maintain fairness and protect equal opportunity for female athletes. 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. And that's why I'm not willing to go backwards and make today's girls fight the same battles again. A battle that has now spurred protests among current student athletes. Holly Burns is one of 13 girls on the Camas High School cross-country team gaining statewide attention for not competing against a trans runner on October 13th. Me and some other girls decided to walk off to protest the fairness of sports. And I just want to say I stand with those girls. I'm very proud of them for what they did. But not everyone supports Holly's protest, and they're seeing the initiative differently. It shouldn't be about coming in first or second or third in a race. It should be about learning who you are and it should be about teams embracing each other. Opponents organized under the No Hate in WA State campaign argued that requiring medical documentation singles out young athletes. They say it creates financial, medical and privacy barriers for all girls who want to play. Kelsey Gellner, pediatric nurse and board member of the state's nurses association is deeply concerned. And hormone testing and DNA testing 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. So that would just open a can of worms that has never been done in Washington state. According to WIAA, out of more than 1.2 million public school students, only about 10 self-disclosed transgender girls participate in school sports each year. Gellner says existing school policies already allow administrators to handle participation thoughtfully on a case by case basis. All children should have access to play sports. We should not be putting up more barriers. If I-638 passes, the WIAA confirmed its executive board would update athletic rules to stay in compliance with state law. And that was Frankie Thompson reporting. Several millions of dollars have been donated to support I-638 and its campaign, while the Seattle Sports Commission joins dozens of local governments, school boards, medical associations, and civic groups in opposing the measure.