Controversy in the United States after Washington state banned transgender people from participating in girls' sports

Voters in the US state of Washington passed a measure banning transgender athletes from participating in girls' sports teams, which is a major setback for LGBT rights advocates in the state that traditionally tends to vote Democratic.

This conservative measure in a Democratic state constitutes a clear contrast to the disappointing results of Republicans in the midterm elections that took place on November 3.

This was done unanimously by 57 percent of voters, against 43 percent opposition, after counting 80 percent of the votes on Friday, November 7. This measure stipulates that transgender girls are prevented from “competing with or against female students.”

Decision 'not based on clinical guidelines'

This decision was opposed by doctors, who considered that this measure “is not based on clinical guidelines, and will lead to unjustified stress and harm to young girls.”

Under the decision, girls who want to practice sports must undergo a physical examination of the reproductive organs, or genetic and hormonal tests.

Opponents of the decision expressed concern that this measure might force girls to undergo “invasive, extreme,” and potentially harmful genital examinations in order to participate in school sports, and more than 140 health care providers issued a statement opposing this measure in Washington state, according to the website of the British newspaper “The Guardian.”

This initiative was put forward by the political action committee called “Go Washington” in 2025, and is funded by conservative hedge fund manager Brian Heywood, and the committee described the measure as “a huge victory for girls in Washington state.”

The group stated on social media: “Girls will be able to compete in their sports without boys!”

For her part, Libby Watson, campaign director for the group “No to Hate in Washington State,” opposed this measure, describing the initiative as “misleading” and an attempt by “MAGA forces to target transgender children for their own political gain.”

Watson said in a statement that the results were "disappointing," but that "the battle is not over yet." She added: “To all the transgender girls who participate in school sports activities in Washington, we want you to know that you belong here: on the field, in the arena, and on the team.”

She continued: “We stand by your side, and we will continue to fight for the day when you can practice sports without causing any controversy.”

Earlier this year, the Washington Scholastic Activities Association, which is responsible for youth sports activities in the state's schools, said that it was aware of only 10 transgender students in middle and high school playing sports, out of 200,000 students participating in sports activities statewide.

What is it like in other states?

In recent years, more than half of US states have passed laws restricting the participation of transgender students in sports activities, and the US Supreme Court upheld these restrictions at the state level in June.

But the latest measure in the state of Washington is considered among the most stringent among four similar measures approved in this week’s elections, as voters in the states of Arizona and Nebraska approved similar measures this week, while preliminary results in the state of Colorado showed progress for a similar proposal, although the final result there has not yet been decided, according to the official website of the British newspaper “The Guardian.”

Transgender athletes are a target for Republicans!

Transgender athletes have long been a target of Republican lawmakers and anti-LGBTQ groups, who view their participation in sports intended for girls and women as unfair.

On the other hand, civil rights advocates argue that such efforts scapegoat a very small group of people, most of them children, who already face discrimination and bullying.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, more than half of transgender youth have had suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives, while 31 percent have attempted suicide at least once.