Vote “yes” on Initiative 26-638 to keep girls’ and women’s sports leagues female.
As a PE teacher for over 25 years, coach and athlete. I’ve played in both women’s and co-ed leagues, and the physical differences between the sexes are very apparent and are well documented by fitness scores.
Let’s support creating more avenues for athletes of all gender identities and physical abilities rather than dismantle protections for females.
Three reasons to vote yes:
1. Sports are greatly impacted by biology, so sports have biological divisions such as weight for boxing and wrestling. Junior leagues and older athletes are divided by age. For example, under 40 and over 65 in sports such as tennis and pickleball. Just about every sport also has a male and female division, so that female athletes have an opportunity to win; the race, a medal, a podium spot, and especially a lucrative athletic scholarship, some worth tens of thousands of dollars. Anatomy and physiology guide sports. For example, junior leagues and women’s softball play on smaller fields. Women’s basketball are smaller. The volleyball net is 7.5 inches shorter. Golf tees are closer to the flag.
2. Changing one’s pronouns or hormones does not change the size of hands, feet, vertical jump or a male’s innate superiority of strength, speed and power.
3. Sports test for performance enhancing drugs. Testosterone is banned in women’s and men’s sports. Female athletes of all gender identities (trans, non-binary, fluid, etc.) can compete in the women’s division as long as they aren’t taking testosterone.
Vote yes!
Andrea Lipper
Thurston County
