Washington High School Sports Just Rejected Two Major Policy Changes on Transgender Athletes

Two amendments that would have fundamentally changed how transgender athletes compete in Washington state high school sports both went down in flames this week. The Washington Interscholastic Athletics Association, which oversees most school sports across the state, announced Monday that neither proposal gained the support needed to pass.

The Votes Came Up Short

The first amendment, labeled ML/HS #7, would have limited girls' sports participation to biological females only. It got 31 votes in favor and 22 against. That sounds close, but here's the thing: you need 60% member support to actually pass anything. It didn't make it.

The second proposal, ML/HS #8, took a different approach altogether. Instead of banning transgender athletes, it would have created three separate divisions: boys, girls, and an open category for all students. That one got stomped, with only 13 votes for it and 40 against.

What Happens Next?

The WIAA made clear in their announcement that the door isn't completely closed. If Washington state law changes down the road, the WIAA Executive Board says it holds the power to revise policies accordingly. So this isn't necessarily the final word on the subject, even though both amendments failed to gain traction among the association's members.

For now, the status quo remains. Washington high school athletics will continue operating under its current transgender participation policy, and these two attempts to reshape that framework didn't come anywhere close to the support they would have needed to become reality.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.