Los Angeles (United States) (AFP) - Voters in Washington state approved a measure banning transgender athletes from being part of women's sports teams, a major defeat in the midterm elections for LGBTQ advocates in the normally Democratic state.

First modification: 11/09/2026 - 11:13

With about 80% of ballots counted Friday, about 57% of voters approved the measure, while 43% voted against it. The opponents acknowledged defeat.

The initiative will call for a ban on trans girls "competing with and against female students."

The approval of this conservative measure in a state that normally votes for Democrats contrasts sharply with the poor results of the Republicans in the November 3 midterm elections.

Among opponents of the measure were some doctors who said it "is not supported by clinical guidelines and would create unwarranted stress and harm for young girls."

Under this initiative, girls who want to play sports must undergo a physical examination of the reproductive organs, or genetic and hormonal tests.

More than half of states have enacted laws in recent years restricting the participation of transgender students in sports.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the state bans in June.

The Washington state measure was considered the most extreme of four similar initiatives that passed in this week's elections. The others were approved in Arizona, Nebraska and Colorado.

Trans athletes have been targeted by Republican lawmakers and anti-LGBTQ groups who contend their participation in women's and girls' sports is unfair.

Civil rights advocates have responded that such efforts scapegoat a very small group, most of them minors, who already face discrimination and harassment.

© 2026 AFP

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