There was a good chance there were going to be tears either way, but these were the joyful kind.
asserted
these → be → ?
For years, Tumwater High (WA) student Frances Staudt has been fighting for the separation of boys and girls in sports, and Tuesday night, it appeared she helped score her biggest win yet.
asserted
she → fight → win
Washington state's Initiative 638, which would require K-12 athletes to compete on teams aligned with their biological sex, held a substantial lead in unofficial election returns.
asserted
which → require → returns
Staudt, speaking at a watch party hosted by Let's Go Washington — the organization that spearheaded the initiative — couldn't contain her emotion.
asserted
that → speak → emotion
"We did it!" said Staudt, who said she's endured daily harassment since refusing to play basketball against a biological boy two in March 2025.
asserted
she → do → March
Washington people have had enough."
asserted
people → have → enough
Just before Staudt's speech, the "yes" vote on I-638 held a 13.6 percent lead over "no" with 60 percent of the ballots counted.
asserted
percent → hold → ballots
At press time, prediction market Kalshi gave the measure a 91 percent chance of passing.
asserted
Kalshi → give → passing
If approved, it would mark two historic firsts: the first time voters approved a statewide law separating boys' and girls' K-12 sports, and the first time such a law was enacted in a blue state.
asserted
law → approve → state
Twenty-seven other states — all of which Donald Trump won in 2024 — enforce said separation.
asserted
Trump → win → separation
But those laws were passed by state legislatures, not directly by voters.
asserted
laws → pass → voters
Supporters hope I-638 will have a ripple effect across the country, inspiring similar laws in other states.
asserted
I-638 → hope → states
"I think this is a big bellwether for the state," said Let's Go Washington founder Brian Heywood, celebrating an initiative that, if approved, could go into effect within 30 days.
uncertain
that → think → days
"This was citizens who are voting very blue still in a lot of ways saying, hey, it's not a Republican/Democrat issue, it's a parental issue, it's a fairness in girls sports issue.
asserted
it → vote → girls
And I think that carries a huge amount of weight."
asserted
that → think → weight
Heywood filed the initiative in June 2025, needing nearly 309,000 signatures to qualify for the ballot.
asserted
Heywood → file → ballot
It reportedly received more than 445,000, with athletes such as Staudt and fellow Washingtonian Ahnaleigh Wilson helping collect signatures.
uncertain
athletes → receive → signatures
The campaign also drew attention to a controversy involving a transgender cross-country runner at Camas High School who switched from the boys' team to the girls' team during the season.
asserted
who → draw → season
After finishing 76th in a boys' junior varsity race in September 2025, the sophomore began competing in girls' races, later winning a varsity event and finishing second in three others.
asserted
sophomore → finish → others
Critics argued that the runner's participation affected other female athletes' opportunities to advance to regional and state competitions.
asserted
participation → argue → competitions
The controversy intensified in October when approximately a dozen female teammates walked off the starting line at a meet in protest.
asserted
teammates → intensify → protest
The incident became a rallying point for supporters of I-638.
asserted
incident → become → I-638
Women's sports advocate Amy Sousa, who documented the walk-off on video, has spent nearly a decade advocating for restrictions on transgender athletes in female sports.
asserted
who → document → sports
Although the election results remained unofficial, she celebrated the measure's early lead.
asserted
she → remain → lead
"I'm so happy, I'm so pleased, I'm so proud, and I just feel like this is right.
asserted
this → feel → ?
It feels right.
asserted
It → feel → ?
It is right," Sousa said.
asserted
Sousa → say → ?
"This is protecting Title IX, the promise of what our foremothers fought for — on the basis of sex."
asserted
foremothers → protect → sex
IS COLORADO CLOSE TO PASSING A SIMILAR MEASURE?
asserted
COLORADO → pass → MEASURE
In Colorado, a similar ballot measure was also leading, although by a narrower margin.
asserted
measure → lead → margin
Proposition 134 would establish sex-based eligibility requirements for K-12 and college athletics, extending the proposed restrictions beyond those included in Washington's initiative.
asserted
Proposition → establish → initiative
At press time, the "yes" vote led by 4.4 percentage points, with an estimated 75% of ballots counted.
asserted
% → lead → ballots
The outcome remained uncertain as election officials continued counting votes.
asserted
officials → remain → votes
"Without knowing the outcome yet (and heading to go to sleep), I am cautiously optimistic that in a deep blue state, with a deep blue election wave, the voters will have said 'protect girls’ sports' when all votes are counted," said Jennifer Sey, chair of the Proposition 134 campaign and founder of XX-XY Athletics, in a comment to OutKick.
asserted
Sey → know → OutKick
It’s a common-sense issue.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
Basic truth and biological reality don’t have a party."
asserted
truth → have → party
ARIZONA AND NEBRASKA VOTERS CONSIDER ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS
Arizona and Nebraska also had sports-related ballot measures on Tuesday's ballots, although both states already restrict transgender athletes from competing in female sports.
asserted
states → consider → sports
Nebraska's Initiative 442, which had received more than twice as many votes in favor as against at publication time, would place the state's existing restrictions in its constitution, making them more difficult to repeal.
asserted
them → receive → constitution
Arizona's Proposition 318, which led by 14.6 percentage points, would expand the state's existing restrictions on transgender participation in girls' and women's sports to private schools and athletic associations.
asserted
which → lead → schools
It would also establish sex-based requirements for access to athletic locker rooms and restrooms.
asserted
It → establish → rooms
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
