WA state leaders react to executive order limiting transgender athletes
The Brief
Washington Democrats are reaffirming their commitment to protecting trans people, following the President's action restricting their involvement in school sports.
State lawmakers are considering taking action of their own.
OLYMPIA, Wash. - State leaders are reaffirming their commitment to transgender people following President Donald Trump's executive order this week trying to restrict their participation in school sports.
What they're saying
State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said the president's executive order barring transgender athletes from women's and girls' sports attempts to "override the authority of states and local school districts"
"The president's order directly contradicts state law, including the Washington Law Against discrimination, and our laws prohibiting discrimination in our public schools," Reykdal said in a statement Thursday. "Our state law prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender identity, and we will not back down from that."
On Friday, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction said it was finalizing guidance for school districts "in response to this unlawful order."
At a press conference Friday about challenging another transgender-related executive order, Attorney General Nick Brown (D) said his office has been closely reviewing all of the president's actions and is weighing action on the trans athletes executive order.
"There are so many things that the president is doing that are illegal, alarming," he said. "We will work in collaboration with our other states to see if it's appropriate for Washington state to take action. Again, there may be some things that he does that I don't like that are legal, and we'll just make that analysis as we go."
The other side
Washington lawmakers are considering taking action of their own.
With the president's order, the NCAA following suit, and other restrictions proposed across the country, State Representative Mike Volz (R-Spokane) is highlighting his "Defending Equity in Interscholastic Sports Act."
House Bill 1699 would allow schools to prohibit "biologically male students" from competing in women's sports, and establish a process to verify an athlete's sex.
Volz acknowledged the bill would have a "big, uphill fight" in the House, but said the legislation is about fairness.
"It's not some sort of anti-trans, or attack on the trans community. They have rights like everybody else," he said. "I just think the women's space should be protected and safeguarded."
House Speaker Laurie Jinkins (D-Tacoma) did not specifically comment on Volz's bill when asked. Though she said, "any bill that violates our state's robust anti-discrimination laws has no home here."
On Tuesday, the Democratic speaker and other legislative leaders reaffirmed their commitment to supporting the transgender community.
"Washington will remain, and that the House and Senate Democrats will remain, a place that will look to protect trans people-transgender people and transgender youth and youth who have questions about their gender identity," she said at a weekly media availability.
Democrats argued Washington has some of the strongest protections for transgender people as a result of legislation passed during the president's first term.
"Now it is about making sure that if there are any loopholes in those laws, we're closing them," said State Senator Manka Dhingra (D-Redmond). "Making sure we're reminding people that in this Washington, we will be protecting every vulnerable Washingtonian. That means our communities of color, our immigrants, our refugees. And our trans folk."
The Source
Information in this story is from Albert James, a television reporter covering state government as part of the Murrow News Fellowship program – a collaborative effort between news outlets statewide and Washington State University.
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