The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association voted on a controversial amendment this week that would have restricted girls’ sports participation to biological females, but the measure failed to achieve the supermajority needed to pass.
The WIAA voted on 22 amendments, with most taking effect August 1. The transgender athlete amendment received majority support but fell short of the supermajority threshold required for passage.
The proposed amendment would have required transgender athletes and others to compete in boys’ divisions, leaving girls’ sports exclusively for biological females.
School districts across the state made their positions known on the issue. Colville School District Superintendent Kevin Knight said his district supported the amendment based on community concerns about competitive fairness and safety.
“The students, the staff, the community, the school board of Colville believe that it is inherently not safe or not fair for female athletes to compete against transgender students, and so they have asked me to support that and it’s my duty as superintendent, that’s what I do,” Knight said.
However, the vote was advisory only and would not have changed existing rules because it would violate state law.
Following the vote, the WIAA released a statement emphasizing its commitment to current regulations: “Despite the results, the Association’s message remains consistent: The WIAA remains committed to following Washington state law and will continue to do so moving forward. If state law changes in the future, the WIAA Executive Board holds the authority to revise policies accordingly.”
Current WIAA rules allow students to participate in activities consistent with their gender identity. Districts like Colville will continue following these established guidelines despite their opposition.
“I want to continue to be a part of the WIAA and we are going to continue to follow the rules and regulations set up by the state,” Knight said. “My job is to advocate for what our school and our community feels is right, and at this point in time we don’t think it is safe or competitive for our female athletes to compete against transgender students.”
The issue will reach voters this November through a ballot initiative. Conservative group “Let’s Go Washington” gathered more than 400,000 signatures to secure the measure’s placement on the ballot.
The proposed initiative would ban transgender students from competing with or against girls and would require all girls who wish to compete in sports to verify their biological sex.
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