King County Play Equity Coalition (KCPEC) is a network of organizations with a clear vision: A King County where all youth—and particularly youth from historically underserved groups—experience the transformative benefits of play, sports, outdoor recreation, and physical activity.

Initiatives 001 and 638, which will both be on the ballot this November, stand in direct opposition to this shared vision.

I-001 attacks youth privacy, agency, and safety by requiring schools to release students’ confidential information to parents—even if that would put the student at further risk at home. This includes giving parents access to what their child shares with trusted teachers and counselors at school, such as one’s LGBTQ+ identity or about abuse at home, even if that parent has been accused or charged of a crime.

Meanwhile, I-638—the most extreme MAGA measure of its kind in the U.S.—exploits disinformation and fear about transgender girls in sports to impose humiliating and harmful genital exams on girls who want to play sports in elementary, middle, or high school. This initiative requires every student who wants to play a girls’ sport to prove their biological sex—which would not be required for students trying out for boys’ sports. 

One side effect that often accompanies anti-trans policies is that girls become subject to ongoing accusations and gender policing if they do not conform to some “ideal” of feminine looks, performance, or behavior. This blatantly discriminatory initiative would create a host of new barriers to sports and negatively impact youth and families, especially girls who are Black, Indigenous, people of color, immigrants, LGBTQ+, and/or from low-income families, ultimately undermining girls’ participation in sports under the guise of protecting them. Without a doubt, this policy will make girls’ sports less accessible and less fair.

As a coalition dedicated to changing systems and shifting traditional forms of power, KCPEC firmly stands against I-001 and I-638. Earlier this year, we joined nurses, doctors, mental health experts, teachers, violence prevention groups, and non-profit organizations from across the sector in endorsing No Hate in Washington State, a statewide campaign fighting I-001 and I-638.

“These initiatives harm our most vulnerable children. Not a few, but any young person ages 5 to 18 desiring to play girls’ sports in school,” shared KCPEC Executive Director Tracy Myers. “If you believe any child should benefit from the power of sports, you cannot vote Yes on I-001 and I-638.”

If we want to address the real issues of fairness and safety in youth sports, we should shift our focus to some of the actual challenges, which include abuse from coaches and lack of access to opportunities to play due to cost.

Young people need support, safety, trust, opportunity, and autonomy. They do not need their sensitive information exposed to potentially abusive parents. They do not need to be excluded from beneficial activities like sports. And they do not need to be put at risk during invasive and unnecessary exams to prove their identity or gender.

Not Hate in Washington State offers a variety of ways to get involved, including:

• Endorsing as an individual, organization, or business

• Joining canvassing or phone banking outreach efforts

• Sending a letter to the editor in your local newspaper

• Donating and/or buying merch to support the campaign 

• And more!

We encourage you to learn more, join the fight for our youth, and endorse at nohateinwastate.org. 

Written by the KCPEC LGBTQIA+ Ad Hoc Committee