Four states are on track to pass or have passed measures restricting transgender athletes’ participation in sports, a key policy focus of the Trump administration.
Colorado, Nebraska and Washington’s measures were ballot initiatives, while Arizona’s proposal reached the ballot through the legislature. The GOP-backed proposals were winning support in various parts of the country even as Democrats scored sweeping wins in Republican strongholds.
According to Ballotpedia, 29 states had laws, regulations or interscholastic rules limiting or banning participation on female school sports teams to students of the female sex.
Arizona's initiative, drawing about 59 percent support late Wednesday, expands existing restrictions on transgender athletes to include private athletic associations. It also prohibits schools and athletic organizations from allowing individuals to use bathrooms, locker rooms and other private spaces designated for a sex different from the one recorded on their original birth certificate.
Colorado's Proposition 134 was passing with 52 percent of the vote. The measure would require school athletic teams from elementary school through college to be designated for male, female or coeducational participation, and require students to compete according to their biological sex.
Nebraska’s measure is an amendment to the state constitution, which now prohibits students of the male sex from participating on teams designated for girls’ and women’s teams.
Washington's initiative would prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls' K-12 sports and require healthcare documentation verifying sex eligibility for students seeking to participate on female teams. The state interscholastic athletics association reported knowing of only about 10 transgender athletes participating statewide each year.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- Four states have now moved to restrict how transgender students participate in school sports, and Arizona's measure also governs which bathrooms and locker rooms individuals may use at schools and athletic organizations.
- The results show GOP-backed ballot measures winning in parts of the country even as Democrats swept other races on Tuesday, underscoring that the issue cuts across the wider midterm result.
- In Washington, the state interscholastic athletics association reported knowing of only about 10 transgender athletes participating statewide each year.
Background
Transgender participation in school sports has become a recurring subject of state legislation and school athletics policy across the United States in recent years, with many states adopting restrictions on participation on female teams. This year, three states put the question directly to voters, while Arizona's legislature referred its proposal to the ballot. The Trump administration has made the issue a key policy focus.
Key Perspectives
- Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington: approved, or are on track to approve, the restrictions at the ballot.
- Trump administration: makes restricting transgender athletes' participation in sports a key policy focus.
What to Watch
- Final tallies: Arizona's initiative drew about 59 percent support late Wednesday, while Colorado's Proposition 134 was passing narrowly with 52 percent, leaving certification as the next step.
- Implementation of Washington's rules, including the healthcare documentation requirement for students seeking to join female teams.
- How Arizona's bathroom and locker room provisions are applied, since they extend beyond competition to private spaces at schools and athletic organizations.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 12 supported.
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- SupportedMeasures restricting transgender athletes’ participation in sports are on track to pass or have passed in four states: Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington.CT Mirror: “Four states — Arizona , Colorado , Nebraska and Washington — are on track to pass or have passed measures to restrict transgender athletes’ participation in sports”
- SupportedGOP-backed proposals are winning support in various parts of the country.CT Mirror: “GOP-backed proposals are winning over voters in various parts of the country.”
- SupportedDemocrats scored sweeping wins in Republican strongholds in Tuesday’s election.CT Mirror: “Although there were sweeping Democratic wins in Republican strongholds Tuesday”
- SupportedBallotpedia says 29 states had laws, regulations or interscholastic rules limiting or banning participation on female school sports teams to students of the female sex.CT Mirror: “According to Ballotpedia, 29 states had laws, regulations or interscholastic rules limiting or banning participation on female school sports teams to students of the female sex.”
- SupportedArizona’s initiative had about 59 percent support late Wednesday.CT Mirror: “Arizona’s initiative, which was garnering approximately 59% support late Wednesday”
- SupportedArizona’s initiative expands existing restrictions on transgender athletes to include private athletic associations.CT Mirror: “expands existing restrictions on transgender athletes to include private athletic associations”
- SupportedArizona’s initiative prohibits schools and athletic organizations from allowing people to use private spaces designated for a sex different from the one on their original birth certificate.CT Mirror: “prohibits schools and athletic organizations from allowing individuals to use bathrooms, locker rooms and other private spaces designated for a sex different from the one recorded on their original birth certificate.”
- SupportedColorado’s Proposition 134 was passing with 52 percent of the vote.CT Mirror: “Colorado’s Proposition 134 was passing with 52% of the vote.”
- SupportedColorado’s measure would designate school athletic teams from elementary school through college as male, female or coeducational, and require students to compete according to their biological sex.CT Mirror: “The measure would require school athletic teams from elementary school through college to be designated for male, female or coeducational participation and require students to compete according to their biological sex.”
- SupportedNebraska’s measure is a state constitutional amendment, and the state constitution now prohibits male students from participating on teams designated for girls and women.CT Mirror: “Nebraska’s measure is an amendment to the state constitution, which now prohibits students of the male sex from participating on teams designated for girls’ and women’s teams.”
- SupportedWashington’s initiative would prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls’ K–12 sports.CT Mirror: “Washington’s initiative will prohibit transgender girls from competing in girls’ K-12 sports”
- SupportedThe Washington state interscholastic athletics association reported knowing of only about 10 transgender athletes participating statewide each year.CT Mirror: “The state interscholastic athletics association reported knowing of only about 10 transgender athletes participating statewide each year.”