A narrow vote by Washington State’s youth sports governing body has blocked a proposal to restrict male athletes from competing in girls’ sports, sparking renewed concern over fairness and safety in school athletics. Despite majority support, the measure failed to meet the 60% threshold required to pass.
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) announced Monday that Amendment No. 7 received 31 votes in favor and 22 opposed—just one vote shy of the needed supermajority. The advisory amendment would have restricted participation in girls’ sports to biological females, but cannot be enforced due to Washington State law, which recognizes gender identity over biological sex.
A second proposal, Amendment No. 8, would have created a separate “open” division for transgender athletes and barred athletes from competing outside their birth-assigned sex in both boys’ and girls’ sports. That proposal gained just 13 votes and was soundly rejected by the board, with 40 members voting against it.
The votes come amid national debates over transgender participation in women’s sports. In February, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports, which clarified that “sex” under Title IX refers to biological sex at birth. The order directed federal agencies to withhold funding from educational institutions that allow males to compete in girls’ and women’s divisions.
Washington State officials immediately rejected the Trump administration’s policy. State Superintendent Chris Reykdal claimed the executive order violated state anti-discrimination laws, asserting that Washington “will not back down” and would continue to allow students to compete based on gender identity.
The failed amendment has fueled concerns among parents and female athletes who believe their opportunities and safety are at risk. Despite growing public support for protecting girls’ sports, school officials and lawmakers in Washington remain bound by state laws that prioritize gender identity over biology.
