The statement was 148 words long. None of those words were “girls.”
On Tuesday, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said she will support the Seattle School Board’s unanimous vote to take legal action against Initiative 638, which would mandate the separation of boys and girls in K-12 sports in Washington state.
Voters passed the measure by a 13-point margin last week, and it won in 36 of the Evergreen State’s 39 counties. But after deliberating behind closed doors Monday, the Seattle school board publicly voted to take possible legal action against the measure, without hearing public testimony. And the mayor fully approves.
Here is Wilson’s full statement.
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is supporting efforts to take legal action against a bill aimed at maintaining fairness in girls’ and women’s sports. (Getty Images)
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“Last night, the Seattle Public Schools Board of Trustees voted to pursue legal action regarding Initiative 638. The board’s decision reflects concerns shared by educators, families, community leaders and the City of Seattle regarding the measure’s impact on students’ privacy, safety, dignity and equitable access to educational opportunities.
“For nearly two decades, Washington schools and the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association have relied on policies designed to ensure that all students can fully participate in school life. As these long-standing protections face new challenges, we affirm the rights of transgender youth and stand with them and their families.
“As Mayor, I remain committed to building a Seattle where every person is welcomed, supported and valued, and where all young people can flourish as their authentic selves. I support the board’s decision and its commitment to creating inclusive learning environments where every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
(Left to right) Female athletes Frances Staudt, Bailey Andersen and Sadie Sullivan sit down before sharing their stories of competing against biological males and sharing locker rooms with them at the Fairness in Girls’ Sports gathering in Vancouver, Washington. (Derek shook for OutKick)
WASHINGTON STATE VOTERS APPEAR TO PASS FIRST VOTING MEASURE SEPARATING BOYS AND GIRLS SPORTS
Remember, Seattle was one of the epicenters of the “No Kings” movement, where tens of thousands of people rallied against a president they accused of disregarding the will of the people. Yet when Washington voters overwhelmingly supported a measure that Wilson opposed, she had no problem supporting an attempt to overturn it. Apparently, the will of the people is only worth defending when the people vote the right way.
Capping Wilson’s statement was a paragraph of political platitudes so meaningless that it would make even a seasoned politician blush. She wants to build a Seattle “where all young people can flourish as their authentic selves” and “create inclusive learning environments where every student has the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
This sounds great to the untrained ear, but what Wilson is really saying is this: If you’re a boy who wants to identify as a girl, you should be allowed to dominate women in sports. The dozen female cross-country skiers from Camas who left the start line to protest their male teammate competing as a female? They don’t matter. Battle Ground High cross country runner Elise Bierer, who broke down in tears after sacrificing a race for the same cause? Not relevant. Tumwater High student Frances Staudt, who is regularly insulted by her classmates for refusing to compete with a boy in a basketball game? Collateral damage.
Speaking of Staudt, she was at a political watch party in Redmond last week with women’s sports advocate Amy Sousa. Both were excited about I-638 passing and thought this fight was over. But on Monday, Sousa said she confronted the Seattle school board, told them the vast majority of Washington counties voted “yes” on I-638 and shouted, “King County has no veto!”
I followed up with her on this on Wednesday.
ACLU OF WASHINGTON SAYS IT WILL CONTINUE TO BLOCK VOTING INITIATIVE TO PROTECT GIRLS’ SPORTS
At a watch party in Washington state, women’s sports advocate Amy Sousa holds up a sign advocating the separation of boys and girls in K-12 sports. (Matt Calkins/Outkick)
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“These girls (like Staudt) fought so hard,” Sousa said. “They shouldn’t be forced to be activists at this age. And they shouldn’t be immersed in a political issue that adults push out on them. Adults did this to them, and adults need to stop it.”
As for what the legal battle looks like? Well, on Monday, a group of parents and educational organizations, represented by attorneys from the ACLU of Washington, Legal Voice and Pacifica Law Group, filed a lawsuit seeking to block I-638 before it takes effect on December 3. The plaintiffs argue that the measure’s gender verification requirements violate Washington’s constitutional protections of privacy and equal rights. They are seeking an emergency injunction to prevent the initiative from taking effect while the case proceeds.
This is separate from the Seattle school board authorizing its own potential legal action, although district officials have not yet specified what form that might take.
What is certain is that the mayor of Seattle will be at the origin of these actions. It is entirely focused on inclusion.
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Except when it comes to the vast majority of voters in the state. Like all those who would have wanted to testify before the school board, they are summarily excluded.
Gn headline
