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Voters in four states have approved measures to ban transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports. On Tuesday (November 3), Arizona, Colorado, and Washington voted to restrict transgender students from participating in sports that align with their gender identity. In Nebraska, voters passed an amendment to the state constitution to prevent transgender athletes designated male at birth from joining girls' sports teams.
According to CT Mirror, Colorado's Proposition 134, which passed with 52% of the vote, requires school athletic teams to be designated for male, female, or coeducational participation, with students competing according to their biological sex. Arizona's initiative expands existing restrictions to include private athletic associations and prohibits the use of facilities not designated for a person's sex assigned at birth.
Washington's Initiative 638, as reported by FourStatesHomepage.com, will require students to submit healthcare documentation verifying their sex before playing on a girls' team. The measure prohibits transgender girls from competing in girls' K-12 sports.
These measures reflect a broader trend across the United States, where 29 states have laws or regulations limiting participation on female school sports teams to students of the female sex. The Supreme Court upheld such state laws in June, rejecting arguments that they violate Title IX or the Constitution’s equal protection guarantee.