By Hannah Saunders
Two citizen initiatives that target Queer and Transgender youth in Washington are picking up momentum ahead of the 2026 legislative session. IL26-638, known as the Trans Athletes Ballot, would prevent Trans girls from competing in women’s sports, while IL26-001, known as Restoring The Parents’ Bill of Rights, would allow parents to oversee their child’s educational activities as it relates to sexual orientation and gender identity.
“While costs are skyrocketing and our country is divided, a mega-millionaire from California – Brian Heywood – wants to distract you from real problems by attacking vulnerable kids, especially LGBTQ+ students,” WA Families for Freedom said. “He is using out-of-state paid signature gatherers to promote poorly written initiatives that will threaten the safety of all Washington students, putting them at greater risk of abuse at home and at school.”
These initiatives are being led by Let’s Go Washington, a conservative political group that Heywood sponsors. It has until January 2 to submit 308,911 valid signatures for each initiative, and if enough signatures are garnered, the initiatives will slide through the legislature and likely be propped up on the general election ballot in November of 2026.
IL26-638 states that male students must be prohibited from competing with and against female students in athletics, and that existing Washington state law and school district policies already require students to receive a routine physical examination, that includes documentation showing assigned sex at birth.
“Protecting the integrity and fairness of women’s interscholastic sports necessitates that students compete in athletic activities consistent with the gender assigned at birth,” according to the Trans Athletes Ballot, and “leveraging the existing physical examination process to verify biological sex ensures equity, safety, and competitive balance in sports intended exclusively for female students, while respecting the rights and opportunities for all participants.”
The initiative would require invasive exams of “reproductive organs” on all female students as young as 11 years, and boys are exempt. Washington Families for Freedom said this increases the chances of girl students experiencing abuse.
Conservatives have been attacking Trans athletes under the premise of unfair biological advantages. Today, healthcare providers recommend Trans youth undergo hormone therapy to halt puberty before being offered gender-affirming hormones. What remains to be seen are long-term studies that show the impact of gender-affirming hormones on Trans students’ athletic abilities. Forcing Trans girls to play on sports teams that do not align with their gender identity causes mental health distress and can lead to discrimination and violence.
Back on June 6, 2024, I-2081, or the Parents Bill of Rights, was enacted into law after Let’s Go Washington obtained the required number of signatures, and allows parents or legal guardians to receive public school records and opt-out of surveys, assignments, questionnaires, and activities related to a student’s sexual experiences or orientation. The initiative received enormous amounts of push back.
IL26-001 would reinstate I-2081’s laws, like accessing school records, reviewing instructional materials, receiving notifications when medical services – like counseling – are provided, and opting-out of certain activities. IL26-001 states that parents should receive copies of public school records of their children within ten business days of submitting a written request electronically or on paper. These records include:
- Medical and health records
- Mental health counseling
- Vocational counseling
- Prior notification when medical services are offered, excluding emergency medical treatment
One portion of the initiative specifically states that families will “receive assurance their child’s public school will not discriminate against their child based upon the sincerely held religious beliefs of the child’s family.”
The Washington Education Association opposes both of these initiatives, and Washington Families for Freedom is pushing back; it’s gathering signatures from the community where people can “pledge to decline” the signing of both initiatives.
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