Parents sue to block Washington state ban on transgender girls' sports teams

Summary

Parents of student athletes in Washington state have sued to block Initiative 638, a ballot measure voters passed last week that bans transgender girls from women's sports teams. The parents call the measure discriminatory and warn it would lead to "invasive" genital examinations for female athletes. The measure requires medical sex verification for all girls who want to play team sports, which advocates say makes Washington's policy particularly extreme. Nebraska, Colorado and Arizona have adopted similar anti-trans sports bans. The vote came in the solidly Democratic state amid the "blue wave" of the US midterm elections and was a major setback for LGBTQ+ rights.

Timeline

1. The Guardian

   10 Nov 2026, 19:49 UTCSource ↗

   Parents of student athletes in Washington state have sued to block Initiative 638, a ballot measure banning transgender girls from women's sports teams, calling it discriminatory and warning it would lead to invasive genital examinations for female athletes.