ADF seeks to defend Washington girls' sports measure, argues state cannot fully represent female athletes

Key Points:

• Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) filed a motion for Female Athletes United (FAU) to intervene in defending Washington’s Initiative 638, which bans biologically male students from competing in girls’ school sports, arguing the state cannot fully represent the athletes' interests.
• The initiative requires biological sex verification by a healthcare provider for girls’ sports participants, but it faces a lawsuit from parents, TransFamilies, and the Washington Education Association claiming it violates constitutional privacy and equal-rights protections.
• Washington Attorney General Nick Brown appointed an outside law firm to defend the initiative while continuing to protect transgender rights, but ADF seeks to ensure the athletes' perspective and additional legal arguments, including Title IX, are presented in court.
• Declarations from five female athletes involved with FAU describe personal experiences competing against transgender athletes and express concerns about fairness, safety, and the potential impact on their future sports participation if the initiative is blocked.
• ADF emphasizes its commitment to vigorously defending the initiative to uphold the voters’ decision and protect female athletes’ opportunities and safe spaces in Washington schools.