Washington state petition to ban males from women’s sports clears signature threshold

A Washington state ballot initiative that would prevent biological males from competing in girls’ school sports has advanced after organizers submitted well over the number of signatures required under state law. 

The political organization Let’s Go Washington turned in more than 400,000 signatures to the Office of the Secretary of State, clearing the threshold needed to force action. State lawmakers can either pass the proposal or allow it to appear on the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide, according to Apple Valley News. 

The initiative would require school athletic teams to be separated by biological sex, replacing existing policies that let male athletes who identify as female compete in girls’ sports.

Supporters of the measure say the issue centers on fairness and safety for female athletes.  

Two Washington high school students, Ahnaleigh Wilson of Eastmont High School and Frances Staudt of Tumwater High School, spoke publicly in favor of the proposal at the signature submission event. 

“I think it’s unfair and it’s unsafe,” Wilson said. “These were spaces that were created for women in the first place, so for boys to start coming in, it’s just unfair and we need to protect what was created for women.” 

Staudt cited biological reality as the reason she believes current policies harm girls’ sports. 

“I believe God created men and women differently for a reason and because of that men do have advantages over women,” Staudt said. 

Wilson gained statewide attention in 2024 after finishing second in a track event won by a male transgender athlete. Staudt made national headlines in 2025 after refusing to compete in a basketball game against a team that included a male transgender player. 

Staudt said support from others often happens quietly. 

“Some teachers come up to me in private and say they do support me but they can’t say anything out loud, or other people,” she said. “But I’ve also had a lot of kids that I used to consider a friend, make fun of me, laugh at me in the hallways, spread things online about me.” 

The issue is prominent in Washington due to the success of male transgender runner Veronica Garcia. He won the Washington girls’ Class 2A state championship in the 400-meter event in 2024 and 2025. Spectators booed Garcia after he won. 

“I’ll be honest, I kind of expect it,” Garcia told the Seattle Times. “But it maybe didn’t have their intended effect. It made me angry, but not angry as in, I wanted to give up, but angry as in, I’m going to push.”