Advocates and allies rallied at Seattle’s Westlake Park Thursday night in support of transgender girls, many still reeling from an election night blow. A state initiative that will restrict trans girls from competing in girls sports was approved by Washington voters, reversing a longstanding policy that has allowed K-12 students to play on teams that match their gender identity.
Parents, students, and queer advocates marched from Westlake to Pike Place Market, protesting the recently passed ban.
“ I was kind of expecting it, but it was still devastating nonetheless,” said Evan Gortner of Gender Equity Movement, the advocacy group that organized the protest. “This is the most extreme anti-trans ban on school sports in the country.”
Gortner said Washington’s ban targets young girls going through a difficult time of their lives. Speakers at Thursday’s rally said this state’s ban is not isolated, but part of a broader national effort to restrict the rights and autonomy of transgender people.
“It surprised me. I did not expect that of our state. I didn’t think that our people would vote that way,” said Felipe Magales from Queen Anne. “It is dangerous for girls in our state.”
Magales carried a trans pride flag in the march with his daughter Alaina, a 5th-grader at Frantz Coe Elementary.
“ It’s not fair that people are telling other people that they can’t be themselves,” Alaina said. “ I like to be here and show that I support my allies at school.”
Under the new measure, girls will have to submit documentation to verify their biological sex to participate in interscholastic sports. According to the initiative language, testing would consist of either a genital check, a hormone test for testosterone levels, or a chromosome test.
Washington will become one of the first states to require medical testing to verify birth sex for female athletes. Students had been allowed to compete in sports consistent with their gender identity since 2007.
“ I think that it’s really targeting and bringing hate and fear into our schools, and getting kids to look at issues that aren’t real issues long before they should be,” said Pam Orbach who was at the rally to support her trans son.
Proponents of the measure say this will protect all young kids while playing in sports.
Let’s Go Washington, the conservative group behind the initiative, wrote in a statement online on election night: “This is a victory for girls… who have been told time and again by the majority party that their voices and opportunities don’t matter. […] Tonight, those girls see that well over a million Washingtonians stand with them and care that their sports are safe and fair.”
People against the ban say they plan to sue over the measure. Lawyers for the ACLU of Washington have indicated they will fight I-638 in court.
Voters in three other states also passed similar restrictions on trans athletes this election — Colorado, Nebraska, and Arizona.
“It was a big loss in a state like Washington that has been consistently very liberal and consistently ahead of the curve on especially social issues,” Evan Gortner said. “It’s very sad to see.”
Source: www.kuow.org
