Every girl who plays sports at Stadium, Lincoln, Foss, or Mount Tahoma would need a doctor-signed sex verification to compete under a statewide ballot measure the Tacoma City Council voted unanimously to oppose on Tuesday, July 28.

Initiative IL26-638, titled the "Defending Equity in Interscholastic Sports Act," would require all female K-12 athletes to provide a health care provider's signed statement verifying their biological sex as part of their routine sports physical.

The measure explicitly bans birth certificates as documentation. Verification must rely on reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or endogenously produced testosterone levels, according to the initiative's text.

The requirement would apply to every girl on every team, not just transgender athletes.

Council Member Diaz introduced Resolution 41972, which passed without opposition. The city's announcement makes Tacoma one of the first Washington cities to formally oppose the measure ahead of the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election.

What it means for Tacoma families

Washington previously required physicians to indicate a student's sex on sports evaluation forms, but that requirement was rolled back in 2019 to align with the WIAA's transgender-inclusive policy. IL26-638 would reinstate and expand it.

Opponents note that about 18% of Washington children lack consistent access to medical care, raising concerns the new requirement could price some families out of girls' sports altogether.

The statewide picture

The WIAA has allowed transgender students to compete in line with their gender identity since 2007. The association is aware of approximately 10 transgender middle and high school athletes statewide out of more than 200,000 student competitors, according to The 19th.

IL26-638 qualified for the November ballot after its sponsor, Let's Go Washington, gathered more than 440,000 signatures, well above the roughly 300,000 required. The initiative was filed in June 2025.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June 2026 that states can ban transgender girls from school athletics without violating the 14th Amendment or Title IX. That ruling does not change Washington's existing anti-discrimination laws, which include gender identity as a protected categoryo.

Tacoma voters will decide on IL26-638 on Tuesday, Nov. 3.