Washington voters will decide in November whether to bar transgender girls from competing on girls' sports teams at every public school in the state.

Initiative to the Legislature 26-638, placed on the ballot after majority Democrats declined to hold hearings in January, goes before voters on Tuesday, November 3.

The measure would apply to all WIAA-governed programs, including girls' sports at Olympia High, Capital High, Tumwater High, and Black Hills High.

Under current WIAA rules, students participate in athletics consistent with their gender identity. IL26-638 would replace that policy by requiring every girl to obtain a form signed by a medical professional affirming her biological sex assigned at birth before joining a team. The requirement would cover all K-12 sports.

The WIAA tried to address the issue internally. A representative assembly vote in April on a similar restriction failed for the second consecutive year, falling short of the required 60% supermajority with 29 votes in favor and 24 against. The WIAA said in a statement that it "remains committed to following Washington state law," which prohibits discrimination based on gender identity.

Let's Go Washington, the conservative group led by Brian Heywood, has raised over $1.9 million for its two ballot initiatives as of mid-June, according to the Washington State Standard. Heywood called the effort a fight "for girls who are being told their safe spaces and opportunities don't matter if boys want to take them."

Opponents launched the No Hate in WA State campaign at Seattle's Neumos on Thursday, June 18, with a few hundred people attending, according to organizers. That campaign has raised $736,000 in 2026, backed by the National Education Association, the ACLU, and SEIU 775.

Let's Go Washington describes the number of transgender students currently competing in girls' sports statewide as "a handful." No independently verified count exists.

No coaches, athletes, or school officials from the Olympia or Tumwater districts have commented publicly on the measure. Washington is a vote-by-mail state; ballots for the November 3 election will be mailed to registered voters statewide in mid-October.