Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska and Washington approved ballot measures this week protecting female athletic competition on the basis of biological sex, even as Democrats posted broad midterm victories nationally, according to a Fox News opinion column by former collegiate swimmer and women’s sports advocate Riley Gaines.
The outcome stood out because Colorado and Washington are states that have generally elected Democratic leadership and embraced progressive policies on gender issues, Gaines wrote. Despite that, voters in both states backed the athletic restrictions.
In Colorado, the financial imbalance between the two sides was notable. Opponents of the girls’ sports initiative reportedly raised roughly $4 million, with significant funding from labor unions and progressive groups including Planned Parenthood, the column said. Supporters of the measure raised approximately $200,000, largely through grassroots fundraising. The measure passed despite the nearly 20-to-1 spending gap against it.
Washington state’s ballot measure was described as the first of its kind to pass separating boys’ and girls’ sports.
Political reaction and pushback
Colorado’s newly elected Democratic governor, Phil Weiser, has already suggested the state’s transgender-related ballot measures may require legislative adjustments, according to the column. In Maine, Secretary of State Shanna Bellows has resisted efforts to restrict male participation in girls’ sports, the piece noted.
Pennsylvania was cited as a state where legislation protecting women’s sports has faced significant political resistance, with Gaines arguing that Republicans there should take confidence from the Colorado and Washington results.
A cultural shift beyond the ballot box
Gaines also pointed to public reaction toward WNBA player Sophie Cunningham, who voiced support for protecting women’s sports. Rather than facing professional backlash, Cunningham saw her social media following and merchandise sales grow substantially, with her Adidas shoes reportedly selling out quickly, the column said.
Gaines argued that the sports-related ballot results show voters delivered two distinct messages on Tuesday — one about affordability that favored Democrats, and a separate one on cultural issues that rejected progressive positions on transgender athletes in women’s sports. She wrote that she expects Democratic officials to interpret their wins primarily as a mandate on cultural policy rather than the economic concerns she believes actually drove many votes.
Gaines said she anticipates further legal challenges and political efforts to narrow the new sports measures in the states where they passed.
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