Anti-LGBTQ+ Initiatives Could Cause Serious Safety Issues For Students, Increase Abuse Risks
Domestic Violence Experts, Law Enforcement, School Counselor, Parents, LGBTQ+ Community Share Concerns About IL 26-001, 26-638 At Press Conference
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, November 20, 2025
Outside Franklin High School, opponents of two anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives voiced their concerns about increased abuse and safety risks for students if two initiatives (IL 26-001, IL 26-638) become law.
Libby Watson, campaign manager for WA Families for Freedom, said “Paid signature gatherers are promoting poorly written initiatives that will threaten the safety of every Washington student, putting some students at greater risk of abuse at home and at school through possible invasive genital exams, forced outing, and restricted access to help when they need it most. A mega-millionaire from California wants to divide and distract us from real problems by attacking vulnerable kids, especially immigrant, neurodiverse, homeless and LGBTQ+ students.”
IL 26-001 would repeal the WA Safety Act, forcing schools to:
“out” LGBTQ+ students to unsupportive families
hand over students’ reports of domestic violence and sexual abuse to abusive parents
make it harder for students to get mental health help
repeal non-discrimination policies protecting immigrant, neurodiverse, homeless, and LGBTQ+ students
Under IL 26-638:
Girls as young as 11 could be forced into physical exams of their “reproductive organs” if they want to play sports.
The WA Interscholastic Activities Association’s successful policy for transgender students in sports, in place since 2007, would be replaced with a statewide blanket ban.
Jorge Torres, the 2023 WA School Counselor of the Year, said “The American School Counselor Association emphasizes that our role as school counselors is to remove barriers that stand in the way of student success and to support every student’s academic, career, and social-emotional development. Initiative 26-001 not only puts youth at risk, but it directly undermines the values of inclusion, diversity, equity, and access—principles that should be the heart of public education and the foundation of the work we do.”
Claire Michelle, a transgender woman and small business owner, said “I came out to my parents only for them to turn their back on me and give me 24 hours to leave. My stepmom and dad gave me no chance at a successful future and stripped away everything I had because I am transgender. I fought through homelessness and starvation. For me it was do or die, but with the resilience that I carry and the support of my community, I was able to go from sleeping in my car, food insecurity and hunger, to running my own small business. Nobody should have to go through what I did.”
Carma Clark, a retired police detective and member of the LGBTQ+ community, said “As a law enforcement officer for 26 years, I’m deeply concerned that under the guise of making ‘students safer’ these two initiatives will create more chances for predators to isolate and abuse vulnerable kids. As a lesbian, if these initiatives had been in place when I was in school, I would have been reluctant to play sports because I knew I didn’t fit certain stereotypes. I would have been subjected to repeated questions and harassment about my gender, as well as invasive inspections of my genitals. If I had been Black or brown, my gender would have been challenged even more frequently.”
Elizabeth Wareing, a mom of two girls and police detective for nearly 30 years, said “I spent nine years investigating hate crime and bias incidents, and many other years investigating crimes against children, sexual assault and domestic violence. Initiative 26-638 would force girls to prove their sex before participating in sports, including being forced to expose their genitals to an adult, if they don’t have other documentation. This requirement would disproportionately affect children who don’t have documentation or regular access to a physician. In addition to violating a child’s dignity, I believe there is a high potential for sexual abuse under circumstances such as these. According to the CDC, nearly 1 in 4 girls experience sexual violence before the age of 18 in this country. Sexual predators often set themselves up as authority figures to give themselves more power and access to their victims. I believe this initiative would increase the risk of sexual abuse for girls participating in sports.”
Amarinthia Torres, Co-Executive Director of the Coalition for Ending Gender Based Violence, said “I’ve spent over 20 years in this space supporting survivors. I know from this work that people from marginalized communities - BIPOC folks, immigrants, disabled people - are some of the most vulnerable to domestic violence. So are the queer and trans people, especially queer and trans kids who are being targeted by these harmful initiatives. Unfortunately, we all know that there are instances where kids do not have a safe adult to talk to at home. I see this far too often in my day to day work. And schools are one of the few lifelines where kids can talk to a safe adult in those rare cases. This is especially true for queer and trans kids who are disproportionately likely to face family rejection. This can mean abuse, neglect, and homelessness. Today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, where the community mourns members who have lost their lives. Far too many of those who passed faced these sorts of circumstances.”
Washington Families for Freedom is endorsed by many child advocacy, safety, education, and health providers including the Coalition Ending Gender-Based Violence, WA Youth Alliance, Team Child, Washington Education Association, League of Education Voters, Pro-Choice WA, and Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates. The campaign is asking people to sign a pledge to decline to sign the two initiatives.
For more information visit WAFamiliesforFreedom.org
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